Steller Sea Eagle
Sea Eagle, Erne, Ern (Haliaeetus) is any bird of prey from the genus Haliaeetus. Sea Eagle birds are one of the heaviest eagles worldwide, and most individuals weigh about 17 lbs (7.7Kgs) on average. These live on the Northeast coast of Asia.
There are three different species of Sea Eagle, and the Steller Sea Eagle is one of the largest species of this Animalia kingdom. The Steller’s Sea Eagle is a tremendously large bird. The smallest individuals weigh about 13lbs (5.89kgs) and the largest weighs approximately 21 lbs (9.5kgs). Like most birds of prey, females are larger than males. Their wingspan varies from 6 ft. to 8 ft. across.
“Sea eagle” is actually a catch-all name for eight species of the eagle as listed below:
African fish eagle
Bald eagle
White-tailed eagle
White-bellied sea eagle
Pallas’ fish eagle
Sanford’s sea eagle
Steller’s sea eagle
Madagascan fish eagle
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Sea Eagle Australia
Few Australian birds of prey are as fabulous as the White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster, Family - Accipitridae). Although similar in shape to the popular Wedge-tailed Eagle, and almost as large, the sea-eagle is readily identified by its contrasting crisp-white and ashy-grey plumage that adds to its spectacular appearance as it rises effortlessly on broad wings. The species is regularly recorded at terrestrial wetlands far from the sea, particularly along larger inland rivers and at freshwater lakes and swamps.
Sea Eagle Europe
Golden Eagles live in Europe, Asia, North America and North Africa, whereas Bald Eagles are found only in North America. Golden Eagles live in both the Great Plains and in the mountains of western North America.
Sea Eagle India
Eagles are one of the 5 species of flying predators that are found in India. The typical eagles are also commonly united with the sea eagles and common buzzards. Other types of Eagles in India are named as Hawk-Eagle, Serpent-Eagle and Spotted-Eagle, Fish-Eagle.
Sea Eagle Japan
Hokkaido of Japan could be a spot for those looking for a bird watching trip tracking Steller sea eagles can be seen from the Nemuro Peninsula. On average this is the biggest eagle in the world weighing 7 to 9kg and the birds are readily distinctive with their yellow beaks.
Steller's sea eagles do not appear in huge numbers, but their populations emerge to be stable. Their feathers were once highly prized, but currently, these spectacular birds are protected throughout their range. They are particularly revered in Japan, where they are called O-washi. In Japan, Steller's sea eagles majorly feast on cod. In Addition to fish, they eat crabs, ducks, gulls, squid, shellfish, and carrion.
Russian Sea Eagle
Steller sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), the bird of prey, belongs to the family Accipitridae. A mighty eagle is a diurnal bird and has dark brown plumage with a white tail and wings, and a yellow beak and talons. The Kamchatka Peninsula in Far Eastern Russia is well recognized for its relatively huge population of these birds.
Washington Sea Eagle
The flight of the Washington sea eagle is pretty different from that of the White-headed Eagle. The former encompasses a greater space, amidst sailing keeps closer to the land and the surface of the water, and when about to snatch for fish falls in a spiral manner, as if with the deliberation of checking any retreating movement which its prey might try, flickering upon it only when a few yards distant.
Sea Eagle Geographic Description
Sea Eagle Body Size
Following are the statistics of the sea eagle:-
Length: Between 24 to 43inches, depending on the species.
Weight: Between 1 to 9 kg, depending on the species.
Sea Eagle Appearance
All other than the Pallas’s and Sanford’s are white-bellied and have white tails. Heads are either white or tan, based on the species. All beaks sport a high arch. Their wings also feature a patch of white running from the shoulder to the elbow, and their tail and leg feathers are also white. The rest of their plumage, or feathers, are coloured dark brown, and their huge beak is bright orange.
Making the maths about how many Sea Eagles are there today?
As per the data following are the worldwide estimates:
Sea Eagle Population
Sea Eagle Diet
Fish, carrion, crabs, sea snakes, tortoises, molluscs, birds and small mammals, depending on the location. Their favourite food is fish just like other sea and fish eagles. . Their primary target fish species is salmon. Though they also hunt trout, cod, pollock, stickleback, pollock, wolffish, and more.
Although fish make up the huge majority of their diet, also hunt for ducks, geese, grouse, crows, cranes, murres, hares, herons, rabbits, ravens, swans, seagulls, snowy owls, voles, and even sea lions and more. They also feed on mammals as well as mammal carrion like deer.
Sea Eagle Habitat
These birds hunt and reproduce chiefly along oceanic coasts. They also live along rivers, deltas, estuaries, and river mouths. Eagles in different regions nest in different locations. Some Sea Eagles prefer to nest in immense trees, while others den on cliffs or rocky ledges. Almost all of their diet comes from the sea, and the huge majority is fish. Due to this, these birds rarely stray far from rivers or oceans.
Sea Eagle Distribution
Steller Sea Eagles are migratory birds, and they live in different coastal areas throughout the year. They live in some regions year-round, other regions only during the spring, and southern regions during the winter. Their range also stretches up to Japan, China, North Korea, and South Korea during the winter months. These birds reside and breed along the northeast coast of Russia.
Sea Eagle Human Interaction
Outside of commercial fishermen and oil rigs, humans barely directly interact with these eagle birds. Unfortunately, indirect human interaction has turned out to be quite harmful to this species.
There are different factors in the population decline of this species, including climate change, lead poisoning, pollution, overfishing, and more. This is why the IUCN ranks this species as Vulnerable.
Sea Eagle Behavior
Like most eagle birds, Steller’s Sea Eagles are active during the day. These birds are solitary predators and do not frequently communicate or socialize with others of their kind. Similar to other eagles, these birds gather around bountiful foods, such as salmon runs. In such circumstances, the birds take a flight for dominance. The only time they communicate with one another in a non-confrontational fashion is during the breeding season.
Sea Eagle Reproduction
Stellar Eagles breed with the same partner year after year and for their entire life. They establish territories around their nests. The breeding season generally revolves around the most copious food supply. Pairs are unable to breed until they are around six years old.
Most clutches consist of two eggs, and incubation lasts about six weeks. The baby sea eagle starts learning to fly when they reach two months of age but do not become independent for another month or two.
Sea Eagle Predators
Are there any natural predators of Sea Eagle? Sea Eagle eggs and eaglets are both prey to other birds and tree-climbing mammals like racoons.
Sea Eagle Conservation Status
The eagles are categorized from Critically Endangered (Madagascan fish eagle) to Least Concern, based on the species.
LifeSpan of Sea Eagles
Sea Eagles usually live between 20 and 30 years in the wild.
Did You Know Sea Eagle Facts
The Haliaeetus is likely to be one of the oldest genera of birds still in existence to date.
These birds are believed to be the heaviest eagles in the world
Steller Sea Eagles, Philippine Eagles and Harpy eagles are the three heaviest eagle species in the world.
The average Sea Eagle weighs over the average Harpy or Philippine eagle.
The white-tailed eagle is the biggest eagle in Europe, weighing about 7 kgs
The bald eagle is the biggest inhabitant of the North American eagle, weighing around .5 kg.
Bald eagles construct the largest tree nests ever recorded of any kind of animal (up to 4 meters deep and 2.5 meters wide).
Males Sea Eagles tend to be smaller than females.
The Steller Sea Eagle is considered the most aggressive and mighty of the genus.
Though widespread across the globe, these birds of prey do not make good pets. This species of eagles is incredibly large, and thus needs a lot of space to spread its wings. They eat a great amount of fish, and it would not be easy for an average person to properly care for this bird. Moreover, is also illegal in most places to own one as a pet.
FAQs on Sea Eagle
1. How Do Sea Eagles Feed?
Answer: Sea Eagles are majorly fishers, diving, snatching and seizing prey from just under the water’s surface. They will also grab food away from the opponent birds like the osprey. If they capture a fish that is too bulky for them to fly away with they will swim all the way back to shore. Eagles consist of a pouch in their chests referred to as a “crop.” The crop is a type of waiting area for the stomach. If the stomach is already full any extra intake of food is stored in the crop until there’s room in the stomach for appropriate digestion.
2. How Fast Do Sea Eagles Fly?
Answer: It all depends on the species of the sea eagle, but for example, the Bald Eagle travels at a speed between 30 to 50 kmph and can explode up to speeds of 120 kmph.
3. What are Sea Eagles Birthing Rituals Like?
Answer: Same as most bird species, Sea Eagles will mate for life. The new mate is only considered if the other half of the pair dies. Females lay between 1 to 3 eggs. The eggs are off-white and are approximately 7.5 cm long. Both the parents will barter incubating the eggs for slightly over a month. Once hatched, the hatchlings usually sport grey down feathers (not flight feathers). baby sea eagles weigh somewhere about 85 grams, depending on the species. The first egg laid is generally the first egg that hatches. The hatchlings (called eaglets) will stay in the nest for around another 13 weeks. During this time they are fed by both their parents as they steadily make larger leaps to surrounding branches in an attempt to practice flight. The first actual flight is known as a “fledgling.” It will still be approximately another 5 years before the eaglets’ full set of feathers and colouring matches that of an adult.
4. What Does a Sea Eagle Nest Look Like?
Answer: Nests are usually constructed in trees and the taller the better. If appropriate trees are not available (for example, for the Bald eagles in Alaska) the eagles can also build their nests on a cliff. Nests differ in size from about 1.5 meters to 3 meters across. The nests are built so hugely since the hatchlings will develop to almost their full adult size before they leave. During this period they will begin to practice their flight mechanics, which includes a lot of hopping up and down, so the nests have to be strong enough to endure the repeated beatings.
