New laws to allow aggressive birds to be removed after baby Mia dies in magpie attack

After last month’s tragic incident, a local council has scrapped decades-old rules regarding the birds.

The Brisbane City Council has been forced to change how it reacts to aggressive magpies after a baby died in a swooping incident.

Five-month-old baby Mia was on a walk with her mother last month in Holland Park when a bird swooped the pair.

Mia’s mother tripped while trying to avoid the bird, leaving the baby with critical head injuries before she ultimately died.

Five-month-old Mia was killed in a magpie incident in Brisbane last month.

The magpie was seized and relocated out of Brisbane following the incident. Picture: Liam Kidston

The bird was seized and relocated out of Brisbane, and amid reports the bird had been involved in aggressive incidents previously, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced a review of council’s bird management policies.

Cr Schrinner said the review carried out by KPMG had recommended council update its decades-old procedures.

Flowers and toys at the memorial for Mia at Glindemann Park, Holland Park. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“What happened to baby Mia was a tragic accident that has been extremely traumatic for her family and affected so many people in our community” he said.

“What the report makes clear is that council needs stronger procedures to ensure experts are called in earlier and these birds are relocated.

“In urban areas, like in parks and along footpaths, we have to always put people first.”

The magpie that caused Mia’s death had been reported for aggressive behaviour previously. Picture: Liam Kidston

“The report highlighted our longstanding procedures that date back decades are based around keeping the birds in their native habitat and putting up warning signs,” Cr Schrinner told 4BC

“Until now that was something … appropriate. But now a baby has been killed we can’t look at things in the same way.

“We do not want to see it happen again.”

Magpie swooping warning signs have been erected around Brisbane, including at the park where Mia died. Picture: Liam Kidston

Bird catchers will now remove aggressive birds and relocate them to prevent further incidents. Picture: Liam Kidston

While the vast majority of native magpies are not concerningly aggressive, those that are will be relocated by experts.

“Bird swooping is part of Australian life, and most of us have been swooped at some stage,” he said.

“The changes I have made will now make it crystal clear that whenever there is a dangerous swooping incident or evidence of a bird’s aggressive behaviour is escalating, it will be a requirement that the state-licenced experts are called in.”

New highly-visible signs will also be erected, to ensure people are aware that recent swooping incidents have been reported.