A man has filmed the terrifying moment he was attacked by a dive-bombing magpie as he cycled along the street.

Trent Nicholson captured the black and white bird swooping and pecking his helmet six times in a short video he filmed with his GoPro camera.

Even a mouthful of worms didn’t stop the magpie from its frenzied assault.

Mr Nicholson said he was cycling down Shellharbour Rd, in Shellharbour, near Wollongong, NSW, when the lone bird took aim.

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This frenzied magpie swooped in on a cyclist in Shellharbour, near Wollongong, NSW

‘For most of the year magpies are fascinating and endearing native birds. However, during breeding, a small percentage of them can be aggressive, swooping at passers-by in their territory,’ he wrote on YouTube.

‘Just avoid the known area for a couple months is my best advice.’

Magpie breeding season began in September and close calls with the birds have been well-documented on social media with posts from people recounting the moment they are terrorised by the bird.

The bird returned to peck at the man's helmet six times on the quiet stretch of road

Even a mouthful of worms didn’t stop the magpie from its frenzied assault

Mr Nicholson advised people to avoid the known area for a couple months

Mr Nicholson captured the bird on his GoPro camera

In one Facebook photo, a magpie with its wings spread in full flight is seen diving towards - and just missing - the scalp of a surprised University of Western Sydney student in Bankstown, Sydney.

On Twitter, people have told of their brushes with the pesky bird in 140 characters or less.

'Apologies to anyone in New Zealand who may have just heard the blood-curdling shrieks of someone caught off guard by a magpie swoop,' Canberra's Farz Edraki wrote.

Keeping up with current affairs, Phil S. Stein, Esq. posted: 'So when are ASIO doing something about upping the Magpie Swoop Threat level? That's the real danger.'

While Richard Tuffin issued a warning: '#canberra #Breakeing (sic) RT: I have seen a tweet on Twitter by a cyclist they have had their first magpie swoop of the season.'

This photo shows a magpie narrowly missing the scalp of a University of Western Sydney student

People have taken to social media for the past couple of days to tell of their experiences of magpie swooping

But screaming, yelling and making a big fuss is not the way to deter these native creatures from leaving you alone.

Sydney Wildlife's education officer Eira Battaglia said the best way to deal with a rogue bird was to quietly walk away.

'They can swoop past your head and it’s a warning but it's only occasionally that people have had them peck their head,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'If you stand still and put your hands over your head, they’ll stop because you’re not threatening them.

'Do not wave your arms around, walk quietly don’t make a big fuss, and they’ll leave you alone.'

The more fuss you make over a bird attacking, the more likely it will continue

September is when magpies breed and swooping is way for them to protect their young

Walking away quietly with your hands over your head is the best way to cope with swooping magpies

Ms Battagalia said the season would only last for about a month - depending on when eggs are laid - and it was always the male bird that was swooping because he was trying to protect his young.

Wildlife Animal Rescue and Care's Jacky Hunt also warned people not to pick up young birds they found.

'[Magpie] parents will often leave them on the ground for two or three days at a time to teach them to be independent, so they can learn how to feed themselves and hunt,' she said.

HONING IN ON THE MAGPIE To avoid being injured by a magpie, wear a wide-brimmed hat or put up an umbrella

This will not stop birds swooping, but it will protect you

Experts say the best way to safeguard yourself against them is to cover up

If a bird starts to attack, do not yell or swipe at them, just calmly and quietly walk away

Do not pick up a young bird on the ground as magpie parents leave them for a few days to teach independence

Being on the ground teaches them to hunt and feed themselves

It takes about four weeks from hatching before chicks can leave the nest

After that it takes about a week or two for them to get up and flying Advertisement

'That’s when young magpies are taken into care [by people] because they think the magpies have been abandoned, but they haven't.'

And the best way to defend oneself from magpies was to protect your head.

'People use ice cream containers with eyes to scare them off,' Ms Hunt said.

'But it doesn’t stop the magpie from swooping. It may not come as close but it will swoop.

'It will protect the head - that’s a main thing.

'I actually suggest people who are walking to wear a wide-brimmed hat or an umbrella.

'It’s also important to have your eyes protected. This is more about protecting than deterring them.'

Magpies are also selective when it comes to their targets.

Ms Hunt said research had found there were four kinds of stimulus magpies would attack and they would stick with that one type.

'There are magpies who will attack people on a motorbike - like posties - or other fast moving vehicles that they consider an animal,' she said.

'Then there’s the magpie that attacks someone on a bike. That’s a fast moving predator not quite as noisy.

'Then someone who is jogging and then there’s a magpie that will attack someone walking.

'They will only go for one type. If one goes for a motorbike, it won’t attack someone who’s walking.

'It depends on their experience with a stimulus. They may have had some sort of encounter and think that it’s a threat.'

Experts recommend wearing a wide-brimmed hat and carrying an umbrella as protection against the birds

Always wear protection to safeguard yourself from injuries when attacked by the birds