Steller's Sea Eagle
Haliaeetus pelagicus is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is named after the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller. Steller's Sea-eagle is the biggest bird in the genus Haliaeetus and is one of the largest raptors overall. The typical size range is up to 105 cm long and the wingspan is up to 2.3m. Females typically weigh up to 9 kg, while males are considerably lighter, weighing up to 6 kg.
Steller's Sea Eagles breed on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the coastal area around the Sea of Okhotsk, the lower reaches of the Amur river and on northern Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands, Russia. The majority of birds winter further south, in the southern Kuril islands, Russia and Hokkaidō, Japan.
It is unique among all sea eagles in having a yellow bill even in juvenile birds, and possessing 14, not 12, rectrices (that's flight feathers on the tail to you and me). The skull and bill are the largest of any eagle and comparable to the largest Old World vultures, the biggest accipitrids. The birds have been found in North America but these are considered to be individual that strayed from Asia. The species is classified as Vulnerable. The main threats to its survival are habitat alteration, industrial pollution and over-fishing. The current population is estimated at 5,000 and decreasing.
The Steller's Sea-eagle mainly feeds on fish. Favoured prey include salmon, trout and cod. Besides fish, it also preys on water-dwelling birds (including ducks, geese, swans, cranes and gulls), various mammals, crabs, squid and carrion, and has been recorded preying on young seal pups! This magnificent specimen was seen at Warwick Castle, where it is displayed by Hawk Experiences Ltd.
Steller's Sea Eagle
Haliaeetus pelagicus is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is named after the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller. Steller's Sea-eagle is the biggest bird in the genus Haliaeetus and is one of the largest raptors overall. The typical size range is up to 105 cm long and the wingspan is up to 2.3m. Females typically weigh up to 9 kg, while males are considerably lighter, weighing up to 6 kg.
Steller's Sea Eagles breed on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the coastal area around the Sea of Okhotsk, the lower reaches of the Amur river and on northern Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands, Russia. The majority of birds winter further south, in the southern Kuril islands, Russia and Hokkaidō, Japan.
It is unique among all sea eagles in having a yellow bill even in juvenile birds, and possessing 14, not 12, rectrices (that's flight feathers on the tail to you and me). The skull and bill are the largest of any eagle and comparable to the largest Old World vultures, the biggest accipitrids. The birds have been found in North America but these are considered to be individual that strayed from Asia. The species is classified as Vulnerable. The main threats to its survival are habitat alteration, industrial pollution and over-fishing. The current population is estimated at 5,000 and decreasing.
The Steller's Sea-eagle mainly feeds on fish. Favoured prey include salmon, trout and cod. Besides fish, it also preys on water-dwelling birds (including ducks, geese, swans, cranes and gulls), various mammals, crabs, squid and carrion, and has been recorded preying on young seal pups! This magnificent specimen was seen at Warwick Castle, where it is displayed by Hawk Experiences Ltd.