Osprey seen soaking up the sun in Barbados after flying more than 4,000 miles from Renfrewshire in Scotland

An osprey, tagged with a colour ring in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park last year, has been spotted in Barbados after flying 4,000 miles from Scotland. It is believed to be the first time a UK osprey has been observed in the Americas, according to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. Nature conservationist Tim Mackrill said ospreys have been colour-ringed in the UK since the late 1960s, providing important data on migratory movements. Over the years, re-sightings have been recorded from locations such as the Canary Islands, Ivory Coast and Ghana. However, the sighting in Barbados is considered the “most remarkable record of all”.

Mr Mackrill said that the foundation received photos of the bird from Michael St John, who had spotted it at Bawdens Irrigation Pond in Barbados. The ring on the bird’s left leg indicated that it was KW0, a bird from Scotland. KW0 was one of two chicks ringed in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park last year. Mr Mackrill suggested that the osprey would have taken the opportunity to rest on boats travelling to the Caribbean from the UK, and may even have stopped off at the Azores en route to its destination.

The osprey, believed to have flown around 3,800 miles from south-west Ireland to Barbados, may remain on the island for a number of years. Young ospreys usually remain on their wintering grounds during their second calendar year. KW0 may linger in Barbados until spring 2024, since flying north to return to its natal area in its third calendar year is unlikely to be possible. According to Mr Mackrill, KW0 may instead choose to stay in the Caribbean. The bird was described as “very settled”, with hopes for further sightings in the future.

Ospreys are a bird of prey commonly found in Scotland, Wales and the Lake District. They disappeared from England in the early 19th century but were reintroduced to the country in the 1990s. Last year, a national survey indicated that osprey numbers had recovered, with the birds nesting in 23 English counties . However, dozens of birds of prey were illegally killed in the UK in 2019, with the population of some species, such as hen harriers, critically low. Under new legislation introduced in January 2021, landowners in England may face up to five years in prison if raptors are killed on their property.

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