Steller’s sea eagle
Quick Summary
A New World vulture, the black vulture, Coragyps atratus, with a weak beak for carrion eating; an Old World vulture, the lappet-faced vulture, Torgos tracheliotus, with a stronger beak for tearing at larger animals; a buzzard, Buteo buteo, with a simple raptorial beak for killing and eating small mammals; a sea eagle, Haliaeetus pelagicus, with a deep narrow beak that may allow a broader field of vision; a kite, Chondrohierax uncinatus, with a strongly hooked beak for eating snails; and a falcon, Falco rusticolus, with a toothed beak for shearing and plucking feathers.
Steller's sea eagle, also known as the Kamchatkan sea eagle, is the largest species of sea eagle. These large, fish-eating birds are found in East Asia, particularly in Korea, Japan, and Russia's Far East, including the Kamchatka Peninsula.12
Sea eagles, in general, are characterized by their large, high-arched beaks and bare lower legs. Their toes have roughened undersurfaces for gripping slippery prey. While they often scavenge, they also hunt, snatching fish from the water and sometimes stealing from ospreys. Steller's sea eagle boasts a wingspan exceeding 2 meters (6.6 feet) and can weigh up to 9 kg (20 pounds).2
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