Butcherbird attack: Woman almost blinded as vicious animal skewers eyeball

An unsuspecting diner at a popular Gold Coast cafe says she “cried like a baby” after she was attacked by a bird while enjoying her breakfast.

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AN unsuspecting diner at a popular Gold Coast cafe has been left bloodied and bruised after she was attacked by a vicious bird while enjoying her breakfast.

Debbie Jones of Varsity Lakes was tucking into some toast at Burleigh’s Pretty Handsome on Thursday when a butcherbird made itself at home on her table, joining the woman and her Kelpie Daisy for a meal.

Debbie Jones is warning others of the dangers of bird attacks in Burleigh.

What was supposed to be a peaceful morning indulging in her favourite breakky – and a beach walk with her children planned for after – descended into chaos.

“The bird landed on my table and I gave it half my toast because it seemed quite friendly, I was happily chatting away with it but I turned my back to pick up my knife and fork and it just went straight for my eye,” Ms Jones recalled.

“I can’t believe how precise it was, it’s beak went straight into it. Honest to god I thought I lost my eye. It wanted my bloody breakfast.”

Another patron quickly came to her aid but believed her injuries to be minor at first: “I put the napkin up to my eye and when I took it away it was just full of blood,” Ms Jones explained.

Debbie Jones is warning others of the dangers of bird attacks in Burleigh.

“I started crying like a big baby, then all my kids started ringing me because we were supposed to go on a beach walk but instead, I raced off to a doctor’s surgery.

“The pain was unbelievable; I was just in shock. I love all birds; I’m from Liverpool originally and think they’re wonderful.”

Fortunately, the prognosis was positive as her sight remains unaffected and the nasty wound to her eyeball expected to heal in due course.

“They swished my eye out with saline stuff and an gave me an injection and now I have an eye patch, I’m walking round at work like a pirate,” she laughed.

“I was hysterical, it’s just so unexpected. Who gets pecked in the eye?”

While Ms Jones’ ego and eye may be bruised, her sense of humour remains firmly intact: “It’s not the cafe’s fault. I was the one feeding the bird, so I don’t intend to complain.”

She does not plan to contact Gold Coast City Council over the matter.

Though she has a warning for others considering engaging with the animal: “Don’t feed the birds because the little twats will come and get your eye.”

Her warning was this week backed up by Beth Hall of Birdlife Australia’s Gold Coast branch, who said swooping season is just a few weeks away: “My advice is the same for butcher birds or magpies: don’t feed the bird as this sometimes encourages such behaviour,” she said.

“One of the things they do say is that you should wear sunglasses if they’re in an attacking or swooping mood and do not look them in the eye.”

Ms Hall suggested cafes or restaurants should also display signage that discouraged the feeding of birds where appropriate.

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Originally published as Butcherbird attack: Woman almost blinded as vicious animal skewers eyeball