A RARE white puffin has been spotted on a wildlife reserve off the coast of Sutherland.
Scottish Wildlife Trust rangers spotted the young puffin, which has only a few black feathers and a largely orange bill in contrast with its more colourful cliffside neighbours, on Handa Island.
Seabird fieldworker Dora Hamilton first saw the puffin on the island in mid-June. Its late arrival suggests the puffin is not yet ready to breed, the trust said.
Erika Faggiani, Handa ranger at the trust, said she has encountered some “amazing wildlife” on the island – but the leucistic puffin is “one of the most unusual things I’ve seen in my three seasons”.
“This is a very rare sighting,” the ranger said.
“There are only a small number of reports of leucism at seabird colonies around the UK, including one puffin which bred on Handa in 2018 and 2019 which had light brown feathers instead of black.
“The puffin has only been seen occasionally and it seems to be spending most time in areas where members of the public could not easily spot it, so anyone coming to Handa to see this puffin is likely to be disappointed.
“But visitors can still look forward to seeing and hearing crowds of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots and razorbills, on the reserve’s tall cliffs.”
Puffins spend most of the year at sea and only come ashore during spring time to breed.
Handa Island, which is owned by Scourie Estate, is managed as a wildlife reserve in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It is internationally important for the breeding of seabirds including guillemots, razorbills and great skuas.
From its dramatic cliffs visitors also have a chance to spot minke whales, bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins, grey seals and the occasional orca or basking shark.
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