Steller's Sea-Eagle

Overview
Steller's Sea-Eagle: Large eagle, mostly black except for white forehead, shoulders, rump, lower belly, and leg feathers. Bill is large, heavy, and orange. Legs and feet are yellow. Tail is long, white, and wedge-shaped. Rare visitor to Alaska. Alternates deep wing beats with short to long glides.

Range and Habitat
Steller's Sea-Eagle: Rare vagrant to the Aleutian and other Alaskan islands. Breeds along the north Pacific coast of Asia from Bering Sea coast south to Kamchatka peninsula and north coast of Sea of Okhotsk. Spends winters south to Korea and Japanese island of Hokkaido. Found along coasts and large rivers.

INTERESTING FACTS
A group of Steller's Sea-Eagles are collectively known as a "constellation" of sea-eagles. The Steller's Sea Eagle was named for the noted 18th-century zoologist Georg Wilhelm Steller. They are also known as the Pacific or White-shouldered Eagle. They are unique among all sea eagles in having a yellow bill even in juvenile birds, and possessing 14, not 12, rectrices. They are also the heaviest eagle in the world, averaging about 15 lbs. This 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.