A bird of prey has been destroyed after being shot on an Aberdeenshire estate.

The goshawk was taken to the New Arc wildlife rescue centre after being shot in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, last month.

The bird, which was named Bart, was put down after X-rays revealed a small metal bullet stuck in his chest.

There are thought to be fewer than 150 breeding pairs of goshawks left in Scotland.

A spokesman for the New Arc said: "Bart sadly had to be put to sleep due to the amount of damage incurred and the pain he was suffering.

"We would like to thank all the vets concerned for their efforts to preserve one of our most persecuted birds of prey. With X-rays and cat scans carried out the final decision was not in question.

"Let's make no mistake about this - birds of prey are the victims of people who claim to be the guardians of our countryside because they own and manage huge areas of land.

"The fact is that this land is 'managed' to be a profit-making concern for the benefit of the landowners.

"The body, the vet report and the scans have been made available to wildlife crime officers in the hope of a suspect being identified."