Australian man suffers severe eye injuries after magpie attacks him for Chinese takeaway

James Glindemann says he was attacked because he refused to give up his food

Australian man undergoes eye surgery after attack by magpie (Screengrab/9news)

What started as a normal lunch for an Australian businessman ended in horror when he encountered an angry magpie intent on eating his Chinese takeaway.

James Glindemann, 68, required eye surgery after the incident in eastern Victoria on Tuesday, when a young magpie approached the park bench where he was sitting.

Mr Glindemann told ABC Australia he tried “talking” to the bird, but that it then repeatedly struck at his face as he refused to give up his meal. 

“I sat down at a bench there and the magpie came up and I started talking to it because I like them,” he said.

“The bird looked at me, I didn’t give it any food, so he attacked me.

“First it struck my left eye and when it landed back on the ground, I didn't drop my food and so it attacked me again in the right eye.”

Mr James said the incident took place in a matter of seconds but he ended up with a bloodied eye and serious injuries. He managed to call an ambulance and was rushed to Central Gippsland Hospital first, where doctors decided that he needed surgery. He was then flown to Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne to undergo the critical procedure.

"There was some blood that was dripping at one stage and it covered my eyes… I could barely see, but I managed to find my car and I rang triple-0," he said.

Mr Glindemann was left unable to see properly after the attack, due to the swelling around his eyes, but doctors say he will get his eyesight back.

“The magpie seemed to have penetrated the cornea in my left eye and the doctors have fixed that," he said.

Australian magpies are known to attack humans and other animals when they sense a threat.

An ABC report said that about 60 patients a year require hospital treatment for bird-related eye injuries across the country.

According to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning's (DELP) Swooping world map, there have been a number of swooping attacks in the same area this year.