Steller’s Sea-Eagle

Haliaeetus pelagicus

Perhaps the most “famous” bird in North America in recent years, this Steller’s Sea-Eagles has been making waves in the birding community since 2021. It has (to date) spent two summers in Trinity Bay, much to the delight of both birders and local boat tour operators. (Photo: Jared Clarke, June 20 2023)

Status: Very Rare (< 5 records)

Origins: Breeds in far eastern Russia, with many wintering in Korea, Japan and northern China. It is a rare visitor to Alaska, with one individual having wandered widely across the continent producing a rash of records in Texas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador from 2021-2023 (certainly one of the most “famous” and written-about birds in North America!)

Record Details: THE well-known Steller’s Sea-Eagle mentioned above has spent two summers in Newfoundland to date (2022 & 2023). It was first spotted by a hiker along the east coast trail north of Bauline (northeastern Avalon) on April 22, 2022. It was spotted at far-flung location on the island over the next number of weeks – in an isolated bay on the south coast near McCallum on May 30, 2022, then at Boat Harbour on the very north tip of the island on June 29, 2022. In mid-July, it was reported by kayakers near Spaniard’s Cove in Trinity Bay, where it settled in and was viewed regularly (mainly from whale-watching boat tours) from July 17-August 25, 2022. Incredibly, after being seen as far away as Maine during the following winter, it returned to Trinity Bay near Port Union in early May 2023. By June 19, 2023 it had returned to the Spaniard’s Cove area where it spent the entire summer to the delight of many many birders and “fans”. It was last reported on October 6, 2023 (fide Robert Bartlett @ Trinity Eco-Tours).

* NOTE – This website is not an official account and “may” contain incorrect information and/or details of unconfirmed records. *