A Steller’s sea eagle is seen off Georgetown, Maine near a crow. The rare eagle has taken up residence thousands of miles from its home range, delighting bird lovers and baffling scientists. (Zachary Holderby, Downeast Audubon via AP) AP

Last week’s frosty temperatures made it hard to imagine that any creatures would come to Maine because it is warmer than their home. But one rare bird started the New Year by doing just that – traveling from a much colder climate to balmy Maine. The Steller’s sea eagle is native to Siberia and Asia, but decided to visit Boothbay, Maine this January instead. Perhaps it sees a little bit of this coastal town’s summer charm coming through in the chilly winter months.

The Steller’s sea eagle is not only rare because it doesn’t live here, but also because of its enormous size. The largest of the sea eagles, it dwarfs its local relative, the bald eagle, which typically has a wingspan of 5-7 feet and weighs up to 14 pounds. Both birds belong to the same genus, Haliaeetus. Hali means “sea” and aeetus means “eagle.” And both have descriptive species names as well – leucocephalus means “white head” for the bald eagle and pelagicus refers to the fact that the sea eagle spends much of its life on the open sea. The “Steller” part of its name isn’t because it’s a stellAr bird, but instead for 18th-century zoologist, Wilhelm StellEr, after which several other sea creatures like the Steller sea lion are named.

In comparison to a bald eagle, a Steller’s sea eagle’s wings can stretch as wide as 8 feet and its body can weigh over 20 pounds. In addition to its size, its plumage is also distinctive with a brightly colored yellow or orange beak and white plumage along the top edges of its wings. For this reason, nature writer Thomas Hynes describes its funny look as being like a muppet.

A pair of bald eagles scour an open spot of the Kennebec River Sunday in Augusta. The river has frozen and reopened several times this winter, leaving the avian consumers of fish an extended opportunity to pick off smelt migrating in its currents. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

The Steller’s sea eagle isn’t the only bird to visit Maine from a colder home base in the winter. Several other types of birds also find their way here, leaving their more arctic homes because of a lack of food. This happens in years where there are poor seed supplies in their home habitat, which impacts both seed-eating birds as well as the rodents that birds of prey like the Steller’s sea eagle, depend upon. The appearance of these arctic wanderers in large numbers is called an “irruption,” as if they have literally burst in upon the Maine winter.

The difference with the Steller’s sea eagle is that it is a giant, solitary bird. So, instead of seeing a flock of strange visitors, this one bird gets all the attention. A friend of mine was one of the lucky Mainers to get a glimpse. The other remarkable difference between visiting flocks of birds and the Steller’s sea eagle is just how rare they are. They have been designated as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due, in part because there are only about 4,000 left in the world. So, to see one of those 4,000 and to see it in Maine is an amazing way to start the New Year. In fact, this was the first time that an eagle of this species was seen in the lower 48 states. It appeared in Alaska back in August of 2020, then again in Texas, and most recently in Massachusetts before heading to Maine.

Whether it will stay or where it might go next is still unknown. It doesn’t have any natural predators and there are plenty of its favorite food types here like crabs, shellfish and smaller sea birds. And scientists haven’t yet determined how old it is or even whether it is male or female, so it could be around for a while since some individuals can live as long as twenty years or more.

Typically, nesting begins in February or March, which would seem futile since there is just one bird. But Steller’s sea eagle can interbreed with Bald Eagles. So, perhaps in May or June, there will a hybrid Steller’s-bald sea eagle fledging from Maine’s rocky cliffs. Regardless, it is heartening that, at least for some coastal creatures, Maine is an unusually warm climate as compared to their home.

A Steller’s sea eagle is seen off Georgetown, Maine. The rare eagle has taken up residence thousands of miles from its home range, delighting bird lovers and baffling scientists. (Zachary Holderby, Downeast Audubon via AP) AP