International- The mother of a young baby accidentally killed it after she tried to avoid a swooping
magpie . - The infant was in her mother's arms when the bird swooped at them in Brisbane,
Australia . - Relatives of the parents have launched a GoFundMe campaign which has raised more than $140,000.
A five-month-old baby from Brisbane, Australia, has died after her mother stumbled while trying to dodge a swooping magpie.
The mother was holding baby Mia in her arms during a walk at a park on Sunday when the aggressive magpie swooped at them, causing her to fall and drop the infant.
Relatives of the young parents said on a GoFundMe page that they were "absolutely devastated" and were "grieving deeply."
"Mia's arrival made Jacob and Simone's lives complete, they constantly doted over her, showered her with love, and shared her for all their loved ones to adore," the GoFundMe said.
"No words can begin to describe the torture Jacob and Simone are going through. A life cut so short, much sooner than any one of us expected. Mia was and forever will be the light of Jacob and Simone's lives."
More than $140,000 has so far been donated to the family.
According to local media, the magpie is notorious for its aggressive attacks in the park. One resident told Nine News that they had complained to the city council about the bird.
"This magpie swoops on everyone, every time," the person said, according to Nine News.
Another resident, who lives near the park, said that her young daughter was left with a bloodied face after the magpie attacked her several weeks ago.
"I literally felt like I was fighting with a huge animal and I couldn't get rid of it, it was just going at us over and over again, and going for my daughter's head in particular," the woman said, according to The Times.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner ordered a "thorough investigation" into the council's management of swooping birds at the park.
"This is something that I'm aware has never happened before, and this is something we want to make sure never happens again," he said, according to the Times.
The council has since erected several signs warning of the magpie.
Magpie breeding season, also known as "swooping season," normally runs from late July through to November.
The black and white bird attack unsuspecting humans, delivering painful and often dangerous pecks to the head.
In 2019, a cyclist fatally crashed his bicycle after a magpie attacked him in south Sydney.