Magpie Attacks Woman While She Was Working Abroad, Leaving Her with a Broken Neck By Desiree Anello

A woman was attacked by a magpie while working abroad.

Marcela Montalva moved to Ravenswood, a small and remote town in the Australian Outback, from Chile around four months ago. She had been in the country on a temporary working holiday visa, which allows a user to travel and work to fund their explorations.

“I came here full of dreams, ready to work hard, explore this beautiful country, and enjoy its incredible landscapes and culture, always respecting the environment and giving my best,” she wrote on GoFundMe.

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But on Oct. 15, during one of her days off, something unexpected happened to Montalva while she was riding her bike to a nearby post office.

“Halfway there, I was suddenly attacked by a magpie, lost control of the bicycle, and fell hard on the road, hitting the left side of my face on the concrete,” she said. “I lost consciousness and later woke up in the mine’s medical unit. From there, I had to be airlifted by helicopter to the Townsville University Hospital, as I was in a very remote area.”

Upon arriving at the hospital, doctors determined that the colorful bird — belonging to the same family as crows and jays — had left quite a bit of damage, including multiple fractures in Montalva’s left cheekbone and a rare fracture of the hyoid bone in her neck. 

“Doctors told me I was lucky to be alive,” Montalva emphasized. “Unfortunately, my travel insurance has refused to cover any medical or surgical costs, claiming that the initial report stated I was found without a helmet.”

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Montalva has since raised around $7,820 to help cover the medical and surgical costs needed to have the facial reconstructive surgery that will restore her ability to eat and speak properly. 

“I never imagined something like this could happen to me,” the woman said.

“I always try to stay safe, but I could have never predicted that a bird attack would lead to such a serious accident,” she added.