Magpie destroyed after attacking children in park
Authorities had to hunt down and kill a magpie that attacked several children in a Central Coast park and nearly took eyes from two.
Children playing in an East Gosford park were under siege from a swooping magpie that attacked three children including one 10-month-old baby.
"It never crossed my mind a magpie would peck my baby in the eye and he could possible lose his eye," Renay Heng told 7 News after the bird went for her baby Isaiah's eye.
Another young victim, Peter Adnam-Berry's attack was so sever doctors initially thought he might lose his eye.
"They put stitches in, about 8 of them," he said.
Westmead Children's Hospital's Dr Michael Jones said the children would have long-term damage.
"There can be years of rehabilitation, for the vision to try to keep the brain using that eye," he said.
"He was lucky it didn't actually go further into the eye."
The petulant magpie from East Gosford was destroyed but as swooping seasons begins, Australians are warned to stay away from the birds rather than provoke them.
Swooping magpie hotspots can be logged at magpiealert.com
Morning news break – September 18
