Doctor Creates Anti-Magpie Helmet Using Party Poppers and Garden Hose

A medical oncologist in Hervey Bay, Queensland, designed a makeshift anti-magpie helmet to prevent swoop attacks from the troublesome birds while he cycled.

Doctor Richard Osborne created the anti-magpie helmet using party poppers and a garden hose. Osborne blows into a nozzle attached to the holes, which inflate the party poppers embedded in his helmet.

Osborne shared a number of videos and images of the device in action to Facebook.

The rate of magpies attacking cyclists in Australia has had a marked increase in recent months, with one hospital in Melbourne reporting 12 magpie-related eye injuries in August alone. Credit: Richard Osborne via Storyful