Birdwatchers flock to Melbourne sewage works after rare duck spotted

Birdwatchers have swooped on a Melbourne suburb after a rare European duck was sighted.

The lone male tufted duck made its first recorded sighting in Australia at Melbourne Water's Western Treatment Plant in Werribee last week.

Since then rare birdwatchers - known as twitchers - have flocked there for a glimpse of it.

The Eurasian bird migrates south in the European winter to India and southern China.

The bird is known for its luscious plumage.

While it has previously been sighted in Thailand and Malaysia, it’s never been this far south.

“It’s obviously taken a wrong turn somewhere.” Birdlife Australia editor Sean Dooley told The Age.

“It’s internal GPS has taken it south, [but] this one has overshot by a massive distance."