Steller's sea eagles (Haliaeetus pelagicus) are known to be the most powerful and aggressive of their closest relatives, the bald eagle and the white-tailed sea eagle, and I remember my first encounter’s each year with Steller’s Sea Eagles on my annual Hokkaido birding photo workshop tour. They are a raptor that leaves a distinct impression. Their plumage is blackish brown-black all over except on the shoulders, rump, tail, thighs, and forehead, which are white. Their HUGE, hooked bill is yellow; when they feed, they do it with raw power. These Eagles are huge, on average, the heaviest raptor on our planet, weighing up to and over 10 kg (22 pounds). They are also tall, measuring up to 94 cm (3 ft) sometimes even taller, with a huge wingspan of up to 250 cm (8 - 9 ft).
Steller’s Sea Eagles usually start their migrations from the breeding grounds in eastern Russia such as southern Koryak, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and northern Sakhalin Island in September. They over-winter as far south as Honshu, Japan’s main island, but I meet them in Hokkaido. Being a Hokkaido local, I have spent years dialing in the precise locations across Japan’s northern island so I know precisely where they will be each year. The world’s population of these majestic raptors is estimated between 4,000 and 7,000 birds, and of that number approximately half winter in Japan and the southern Kuril Islands. Some of the Steller’s Sea Eagles seek out the Soya Cape for a short period of time to indulge in the salmon spawning rivers there, some of the Steller’s favorite treats being salmon. The Steller's Sea Eagle prefers a diet of trout, salmon, or other fish but will eat sea lions or land animals when fishing is slow. Part of the reason Steller’s Sea Eagles find the region of Japan so appealing is Japan’s fishing industry. Until 1970-80, ports in the Hokkaido area accounted for nearly half of Hokkaido’s cod catches, the amount peaking close to 1990. The region was overflowing with fish and Steller’s Sea Eagles searching for easy prey, but the industry has seen a slow but steady decline since its late 20th century heyday. However, many chartered boats are now filling in the gap supplying fish to Steller’s Sea Eagles, and providing the backdrop for the birders and wildlife photography Japan adventures of a lifetime!