An osprey chick has died after falling from its nest while being tagged by the RSPB.

The wildlife charity described the incident in the Huntly area of Aberdeenshire as a "tragic error".

It is unclear what caused the bird to fall but osprey chicks cannot fly until they are around seven weeks old.

All three staff involved in the incident were fully licensed and experienced taggers, the charity said.

"In more than 50 years of ringing osprey chicks in Scotland, this is only the second incident we are aware of where an osprey chick has died," a spokesman for RSPB Scotland said.

"This heartbreaking accident has left everyone involved distraught and upset by the loss of this chick."

Birds are tagged to help conservationists track them and gather information about their behaviour. RSPB teams also clean and strengthen nests while tagging.