The Scottish Wildlife Trust said there have been 12 recorded sightings of the Tengmalm’s owl in Scotland and around 60 in the UK.
The last recorded sighting in Scotland was on Orkney in 1986 and the last in Shetland was 1912.
A spokesman said: “While they are common in much of the Northern hemisphere sightings in Britain are very rare.
“There have only been a dozen recorded sightings in Scotland, so it’s no surprise that this owl has caused a stir.”
Ellie Forbes
