Parents ‘terrified’ after 2yo daughter attacked by magpie in Melbourne park

“We were right there doing the things that we would do every single day, but there’s just a very aggressive magpie that’s down there.”

A two-year-old is recovering after being attacked by an "aggressive" magpie in St Kilda, Melbourne. 

On Friday, a day before the AFL Grand Final, Madison was spending the afternoon with her two children and husband at Alma Park in St Kilda East. 

It was a public holiday for the Melbourne mum-of-two, so she and her family decided it was the perfect opportunity to lay by the beach and spend time at the playground. 

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Two-year-old Effie was attacked by the magpie. Picture: 7News

Toddler attacked by "aggressive" magpie

Madison and her family had been frequent visitors to the park, as her kids loved running around the playground. 

Her two-year-old daughter, Effie, was climbing a ramp towards the slide before issuing a loud cry. 

RELATED: Sydney mum left ‘bloody and bruised’ after magpie attack while on morning walk

Unbeknownst to everyone else, on a fence nearby was a large magpie, which swept down to the ground; a second later, the magpie was in the air again, this time heading straight towards the toddler. 

Heading straight to her head, the bird attacked Effie’s face, leaving a small gash at her eye. 

Upon seeing the attack, Madison and her husband rushed to their daughter and shooed the magpie away. 

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“It’s so hard because we were right there doing the things that we would do every single day but there’s just a very aggressive magpie that’s down there,” Madison told 7News. 

Thankfully, it appears the bird only scratched her face with its foot, but Madison believed the magpie was eyeing off her toddler before it attacked. 

A day after the incident, Madison explained what happened with another friend, only to learn that magpies were notorious for attacking others at the same park. 

“My friend’s little girl got attacked [in the] same spot, and her friend’s little boy got attacked in the same spot as well,” she said. 

While her toddler is on the mend from the magpie attack, the Melbourne mum is still shaken. 

“[Effie] obviously talks about it quite a lot,” she said. “But we tried to try to make it as though the magpie was just trying to say hi to her.”

RELATED: Mum uses her daughter as 'human shield' during magpie swooping season

Magpies can be aggressive during swooping season. Picture: iStock

Staying safe during swooping season

While magpies are usually friendly and peaceful birds for the majority of the year, this changed during the swooping season, which runs from August to October. 

This is when they have their babies and become more protective of their young.

Speaking to news.com.au in mid-September, Sean Dooley, national public affairs manager at Bird Life Australia, explained the best way to avoid getting attacked by oncoming magpies during swooping season this year. 

“Just walk calmly out of that swooping zone … and the swooping will stop,” he said. 

Above all, it’s best to not act stressed, as it can only antagonise them further. “About the worst thing you can do is panic, run around and scream and try and retaliate,” he said. 

Once you’ve been swooped, Dooley recommends keeping “an eye on that magpie”, as they may be “less likely to go again because they know you’re watching it.” 

“You’re more able to avoid it if you can see it coming rather than a stealth attack.” 

Originally published as Parents ‘terrified’ after 2yo daughter attacked by magpie in Melbourne park