Birdwatchers flock to Victoria after first-ever sighting of Tufted Duck

A rare sighting of a unique bird, never before seen in Australia, has sent birdwatchers into a frenzy with people across the country flocking to Victoria in hopes of catching a glimpse of the creature.

The Tufted Duck, which usually resides in the northern hemisphere, was spotted earlier this month by an American birdwatcher during a visit to the Western Treatment Plant in Melbourne – one of Australia’s most popular birdwatching locations.

The sighting has led to an influx of birdwatchers to the region, who just like the American, were shocked to see the duck so far away from its natural habitat.

Up until now, the species was recorded nesting in northern parts of Eurasia, from Iceland and Ireland, across northern continental Europe and east to Siberia. Generally, the duck migrates south to eastern and southern Asia, Mediterranean Europe and Africa at the end of the breeding season.

However, the duck is not known to travel as far as South East Asia, let alone southern Australia. It’s for this reason, so many birdwatchers are eager to snap a photo of the duck as it enjoys its time in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee.

“It seems that this particular duck undertook its usual annual migration but then got carried away, presumably reaching its usual ‘wintering’ grounds – then it kept flying until it reached Australia,” BirdLife Australia wrote on its Facebook page.

“And then kept on flying further still, until it finally reached the Western Treatment Plant.”

Birdwatcher James Mustafa was one of the many people to quickly grab his camera and head to the area to snap a photo. The twitcher – another name for birdwatcher – detailed his experience online and his shock at seeing the fluffy duck in real life.

“The moment I got the call, I was running around the house grabbing my camera, binoculars and throwing off my suit (I may have ripped a shirt button),” he joked.

By the time he got there, James said there was already a large crowd gathered at the Western Treatment Plant, all watching the pond eagerly waiting to see the bird.

“The Tufted Duck seemed to be of similar size as Chestnut Teal or Pink-eared Duck, perhaps leaning more on the Pink-eared Duck side,” he noted. “It was quite happy, flappy [sic] about the place, loosely intermingling with the other waterfowl on the water.”

The duck has gained much attention on social media as well, with plenty of people commenting how they hope to catch a glimpse of the mysterious bird and joking how it ended up so far away from others of its kind.

“He looks like he’s a little bit in shock himself ending up in Australia,” one person joked on Facebook.

“I’d look grumpy too if I missed the turn off ,” another added.

While a third said: “Wow, I hope it has a mate and starts generations of Aussie Tufted Ducks!”

Luckily for birdwatchers, the Tufted Duck has stayed put at the Western Treatment Plant, regularly seen diving for food with a myriad of other more commonly known ducks.

BirdLife Australia has urged anyone keen to see the duck to ensure they have a permit to visit the site as it is on Melbourne Water land. The organisation also told birdwatchers to be patient as it may take a while to spot the bird among the others in the area.

Are you a keen birdwatcher? Have you ever seen a Tufted Duck?