While it can be scary, National Parks and Wildlife says it's not all black and white and there are a lot of things you can do to avoid getting swooped, by understanding why magpies behave the way they do.

"Not all magpies swoop and female magpies don't swoop at all as they are busy tending to their chicks," explained CEO of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife Susanna Bradshaw.

"In fact it is estimated that only nine per-cent of magpies swoop.

"The male magpies that do the swooping believe they are protecting their offspring."

The most common targets for magpies are people riding bicycles, young children and males.

The birds are very intelligent and will often approach you from behind or from the direction of the sun to try and catch you unawares.

Ms Bradshaw said the worst thing you can do is to try and fight back.

"Throwing rocks or sticks at a magpie will only further aggravate it and encourage it to swoop more, as it shows the magpie that you really are a threat to its babies," she said.

"Also, magpies are a protected native species, so harming them can lead to penalties and fines."

Some people believe that feeding magpies will help them lose their fear of humans, however, there is no evidence to support this and it can artificially grow their populations, make them sick from unsuitable foods and become reliant on people.

Tips for bike riders during swooping season

- Hop off your bike and walk past a magpie's nest

- Change your route

- Attach a flag to the back of your bike which is higher than your head level

- Stick a pair of printable eyes on the back of your helmet

- Fasten plastic cable ties echidna-style to your helmet to prevent them from getting at your head.