South Burnett Regional Council pass motion to relocate up to 20 dangerous swooping magpies

“Millimetres from their eyes”: A regional council has made the move to relocate up to 20 dangerous magpies in response to a desperate plea from a residents who say they have been ‘scratched and terrorised’ by rogue birds.

The South Burnett Regional Council has voted to relocate up to 20 dangerous magpies terrorising residents – backflipping after the plan was axed in August.

Murgon resident Susan Mollenhaur told the council her family was “terrorised” by a magpie living along Boat Mountain road for more than seven years.

She said this particular magpie will start swooping her family in April and continue all the way through to December.

Because of this one aggressive bird, Ms Mollenhaur said her children are not safe riding their bikes outside their own home and she cannot walk or run without fear of getting attacked.

“So it’s more like eight weeks when we can feel safe outside, not eight weeks when we can’t,” she said.

Ms Mollenhaur said last month her 14-year-old son was struck by the magpie while riding his bike to school, causing him to swerve his bike onto the wrong side of the road. Only a week later it reportedly scratched his face.

Resident Penny McGill said she’s been attacked by a magpie for 10 years at the caravan park and had been forced to change her behaviour to accommodate this bird.

The council requested the report following a tragic incident in Brisbane’s Holland Park, where a five-month-old girl died when her mother – who was carrying her at the time – fell trying to avoid a swooping magpie.

Under the motion a licenced relocator will remove up to 20 magpies reported to have caused injury to South Burnett residents.

Written support for the motion was provided to council by SBRT Users Association secretary Jason Wyeth – read aloud by Cr Kathy Duff – saying he’d witnessed multiple attacks from a dangerous bird at Dingo Creek in Wondai.

Mr Wyeth said he witnessed this bird nearly blind two riders, striking them under their sunglasses and drawing blood “millimetres from their eyes”.

Cr Danita Potter initially opposed the motion saying she always strongly opposed the removal of magpies, however added Ms Mollenhaur and Ms McGill’s presentation inspired her to change her vote for the sake of the community.

The motion was carried 4-3 with Mayor Brett Otto, Cr Kathy Duff, Cr Danita Potter and Cr Kirstie Schumacher voting in favour, and Cr Gavin Jones, Cr Scott Henschen and Cr Roz Frohloff voting against.