Three-year-old Izayah Woodward has been left terrified after he was attacked by a Magpie while riding his bike in Larmer Street in Howlong.

His mum, Jess Gardner, said the youngster received gashes to his cheek and is now too scared to ride his bike or go outside.

"It latched onto his face and kept pecking him," she said.

"He's absolutely petrified now."

The family is new to the Howlong area after moving close to three months ago.

Ms Gardner is now calling for something to be done to prevent another resident being attacked.

"I understand that they swoop, but if they're this vicious the council should be trying to catch and remove them."

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning warn native birds swoop to defend their young for six to eight weeks between when they hatch and when they leave the nest.

"Swooping occurs every year during breeding season and is largely a defensive manoeuvre," DELWP senior wildlife management officer Therese Davis said.

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"For some species, including magpies, less than 10 percent of birds will progress to swooping.

"Being swooped by a territorial bird is no fun, but this is just normal bird behaviour."

Ms Davis has offered some of her tips to help survive swooping season.

"The best way to avoid being swooped is to avoid the area all together, though this isn't always possible," she said.

"If you do end up in an area where there is a swooping bird, try to protect your head and eyes and move quickly through the area without running."

Other handy hints include covering your head with a hat, helmet or umbrella, drawing a pair of eyes on the back of your hat or helmet and not harassing or feeding the wildlife.

DELWP is also encouraging residents to know their local swooping hotspots.

Some targeted locations in previous years include areas along the Bandiana Link Road in Wodonga, Brooks Terrace in Killara and in or around parks with tall eucalypts.

You can report a swooping incident by visiting DELWP's website.