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Photograph of 31 rare birds sparks ripples in midst of hunting season: 'Quite extraordinary'
A photograph of rare ducks on a Victorian lake has sparked concern for their safety. The photographer initially had no idea he'd snapped a photo of 31 ducks that are threatened with extinction. Source: Tom Cray To anyone walking around Australia's Lake Learmonth on the weekend, the large flock of birds bobbing on the water would have looked like regular ducks. And when experienced nature photographer Tom Cray first snapped them, he thought the same. It was only when he zoomed into the frame later that he realised he had witnessed something rarer. He'd photographed 31 freckled ducks, a species listed as vulnerable to extinction in Victoria. 'I thought they were grey teals initially. They were very nervous, and I suspect there were closer to 50 in the group, which is quite incredible because I've never seen so many on the lake before,' he told Yahoo News. 'To see so many felt quite extraordinary.' ADVERTISEMENT Related: 😳 Fears for rare bird as state reveals details of controversial hunt plan Up close, it's easy to see that freckled ducks have a distinctive appearance. They have dark greyish-brown feathers, a large head that is peaked at the rear, and a thin, upturned bill. Source: Tom Cray When Tom opened the shutter on his camera at the lake northwest of Ballarat, he was unaware of the ripples it would cause, with news of his photograph making its way to the Victorian parliament and across the world to bird watchers in Africa. Concern for rare ducks in photograph The sighting occurred in the middle of the state's controversial duck shooting season, which is running this year from March 19 to June 9. Despite being protected, freckled ducks are frequently shot in Victoria, and so the sighting has sparked calls for Lake Learmonth to be closed. Laurie Levy has been opposing Victoria's duck season since 1986, and for decades he's laid the bodies of protected waterbirds in front of the steps of the state's parliament house. ADVERTISEMENT Speaking to Yahoo News on Tuesday, the Coalition Against Duck Shooting veteran spokesperson recalled that in 2025, there were several freckled ducks among the bodies he presented this year. 'There were around nine illegally shot freckled ducks. One of them had 98 or so pellets in it. There are around 200 pellets in a shotgun cartridge, so it must have been shot at close range,' he said. When Laurie Levy conducts his annual protest, freckled ducks are usually among the bodies he displays. Source: AAP Photo sent to parliament house as authorities urged to act When large flocks of threatened species are reported at sites open to shooters, like Lake Learmonth, they are reported to the Department of Environment (DEECA), which has the role of investigating whether the wetlands should be closed to protect them. Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell reported details of the Lake Learmonth sighting to environment minister Steve Dimopoulos, urging his office to investigate. ADVERTISEMENT 'We're hoping to get the wetland closed because of the presence of freckled ducks,' she told Yahoo. 'They are one of the most rare waterbirds in the world. And we saw on the opening weekend of this year's duck shooting season that they are not immune from falling victim to shooters' guns. There's constant misidentification in duck shooting.' Birdwatcher in Africa responds to freckled duck picture On the other side of the world, Birdlife Australia's Sean Dooley was preparing to go birdwatching in Uganda. But when he heard news of the sighting, he picked up the phone and spoke with Yahoo. ADVERTISEMENT While he's seen many large flocks of freckled ducks in his years of bird watching, his excitement about the species hasn't dulled. 'They are a bit fussy about where they gather — usually there's some timber in the water or trees along the shore. But while it's always a thrill to see them, they often gather in groups,' he said. Like many conservationists, Dooley's immediate thought was about the danger shooters posed to the freckled ducks. 'Unfortunately, even though they're pretty distinctive, they are shot with alarming regularity,' he said. "As the season continues, ridiculously, we still have to have people out there looking for threatened species." The Animal Justice Party's Georgie Purcell has reported the freckled duck sighting to the environment minister, urging his office to act. Source: AAP In 2023, the Andrews Labor Government commissioned an inquiry into the annual season due to growing welfare and environmental concerns, and dwindling public approval. The inquiry suggested banning duck season, and animal welfare groups rejoiced. But state unions, including the CFMEU and the ETU threatened to interrupt state projects through industrial action if it went ahead. While the Labor Party is understood to be split on the issue, when Jacinta Allan took over as premier, she reportedly made a 'captain's call' to allow duck season to continue, but with new restrictions. Concern for ducks as numbers plummet during drought There are now renewed calls to ban the season because western Victoria is suffering ongoing drought and waterbird numbers have plummeted. A survey of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland by the University of NSW found a 50 per cent drop in numbers when compared to 2023 — from 579,641 down to 287,231. Noting the report's findings, Purcell said she had 'enormous concerns' for the state's waterbirds, and urged the state Labor government to cancel next year's season. 'We're shooting our native birds to extinction,' she warned. With government resources limited, she believes it's impossible to police the state's private and public wetlands to ensure threatened birds aren't being shot. It's often photos like Tom's being shared on social media that lead to awareness about the presence of species like freckled ducks. 'It's citizen science that's protecting these birds. It should be the government that's protecting them, but they refuse to ban duck shooting. So we'll keep fighting,' she said. Photographer responds to impact of his sighting Reflecting on the ripples caused by his simple photograph, Tom told Yahoo he has never held strong opinions one way or the other about duck season. However, he is aware of the controversy, so he wasn't surprised that it caused a stir, and he wouldn't like the ducks he photographed to be shot. "It would be a pity to disturb them when there are so many there," he added. DEECA has been contacted for comment. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
