What's a bird from down south doing on a St. John's river?

A bird normally found in parts of the world much further south than St. John's, Newfoundland has birdwatchers in a flap.

The American purple gallinule has been spotted on the banks of the Waterford River, giving bird enthusiasts from Newfoundland and Labrador a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see it.

A gallinule is usually found in the southern United States, Mexico or Central America.

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When it was first spotted in St. John's on Saturday, Shawn Fitzpatrick got the alert on his cell phone. Word spread quickly and soon an array of birders were spread out along the river bank.

"Within half an hour, somebody had found the bird, so another alert came ... and immediately everybody packed up their gear and flew to that location," Fitzpatrick told CBC News.

The bird has really big yellow feet, like snowshoes, which allows it to walk around on lily pads, Fitzpatrick explained, as he camped out on the river Monday with his camouflaged camera and a long lens.

Fitzpatrick said the bird might have come here on a southwest wind, or on a cargo ship, and is not likely to survive a Newfoundland winter.

He joked that some bird lover with deep pockets might help out.

"We've had puffins flown from out west back to Newfoundland, so who knows if somebody will be stepping up to put this one on a first class flight back to Brazil?"