A YOUNG osprey which flew more than 3000 miles from Scotland in 50 days has been found on one of the Cape Verde islands, almost 400 miles off the westernmost point of mainland Africa.
The young bird was found by an islander late last year and RSPB Scotland is now attempting to contact him to see whether the bird is still alive.
It is the first time a Scottish-ringed osprey has been found in Cape Verde.
The bird was ringed in July 2002 at a nest in Stirlingshire. From recoveries to date, it is known that most Scottish ospreys migrate from early September down through Spain and North Africa to wintering areas in West Africa.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, of RSPB Scotland, said: ''This is a truly exceptional record. When this osprey was ringed last July, we never envisaged that this young bird on its first migration would fly so far from land and particularly across almost 400 miles of sea.''
It is the second fascinating ringing record of a Scottish osprey in as many years. In 2001, another young Scottish osprey, ringed by RSPB and Forest Enterprise staff at a nest in Argyll, was located in the Gambia, West Africa.
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