Coorparoo has reclaimed its crown as the worst suburb in Brisbane for reported bird swoopings, new data reveals.

Brisbane City Council received 311 reports of swooping over the past 12 months, with most during the breeding months of September and October.

Of those reports, Coorparoo had the most with 14, Carindale followed with 12 and Runcorn was third with nine.

While magpies are the best-known swooping birds, the council said plovers, butcherbirds, magpie-larks, little friarbirds, noisy miners and crows were also known to swoop.

Twelve months ago, New Farm, Brighton and Forest Lake took out the top spots.

Coorparoo author Kailum Graves, who recently won a $15,000 prize for his short story The Magpies Have Unionised, said he had never been swooped but had seen increasing numbers of warning signs in his suburb recently.

He told this masthead his story, which takes the side of birds protecting their young, was inspired by those signs.

“I know all the magpies here, and I’m kind of friends with them,” Graves said.

“I get that cyclists and kids ... getting swooped is bad, but at the same time when I see the signs [I think] ‘we’ve invaded their space a little bit.’

“They’re just parents protecting their babies.”

He identified Cavendish Road and Leicester Street Park as magpie hotspots in Coorparoo.

“We want them in the suburbs because they eat pests, they eat spiders, and they’re really good,” Graves added.

“We should be encouraged to live in harmony with them.”

Coorparoo was also the worst suburb for swooping in 2024. But most incidents likely go unreported, and some people may make disproportionate submissions.

In 2021, reports of swooping in Brisbane peaked at 1193 incidents. Experts at the time said this could have been the result of more people walking through parks and cycling during COVID lockdowns.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said in a statement on Monday residents could wear a hat or carry an umbrella to their reduce risk.

“If you come across a swooping bird, report it to us so we can monitor the area and install warning signs to help keep people safe.”

Brisbane City Council said its wildlife teams relocated 18 birds during the 12-month period.