Horrified birdwatchers see rare White-throated Needletail killed after it flies into a wind turbine

Sightings of the White-throated Needletail are incredibly rare in the UK so when one was spotted on the the Isles of Harris it caused quite a stir

Sightings of the White-throated Needletail are incredibly rare in the UK so when one was spotted on the the Isles of Harris it caused quite a stir with Twitchers. (GETTY IMAGES)

It is known as one of the world's fastest birds, able to reach an estimated top speed of 105mph.

Sightings of the White-throated Needletail are incredibly rare in the UK so when one was spotted on the the Isles of Harris it caused quite a stir with Twitchers.

Dozens of birdwatchers who made the journey to Scotland to witness the bird were, however, left devastated after it was killed by a wind turbine as they watched.

Sightings of the bird in the United Kingdom are incredibly rare with just eight recorded spottings in nearly 170 years and most recently over twenty years ago. As a consequence up to 30 ornithologists rushed to the island hoping to catch a glimpse.

One birdwatcher, David Campbell, from Surrey, told the BBC the bird was killed on Wednesday. "We just watched the whole thing with dismay," he said.