Australian man dies after attack by a swooping magpie
By
Jessie Yeung, CNN
September 16, 2019
Australia sees an increase in magpie swoopings every September and October, shortly after the magpie breeding season.
(CNN) — A cyclist died in
Australia on Sunday after being startled by a
swooping magpie, a native Australian bird that gets aggressive in the spring around breeding season.
The 76-year-old man was riding his bike in Nicholson Park in Wollongong, south of Sydney, when he veered off the path to avoid a swooping magpie, according to
Wollongong Police.
He then crashed into a fence post, was thrown to the ground, and suffered serious head injuries.
The man was airlifted to Sydney's St. George Hospital and died that evening, police said.