A massive, menacing Steller’s sea eagle is dazzling birders in a Newfoundland park

CITYnews halifax /By Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

1. JOHN’S, N.L. — A national park in Newfoundland has made the unusual move of opening in the winter so people can catch a glimpse of its rare and menacing new guest.

A Steller’s sea eagle has taken up residence in Terra Nova National Park, about 150 kilometres northwest of St. John’s, N.L. The dark-plumed bird is the only known bird of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, according to a Facebook post on the park’s account.

The eagle is one of largest birds of prey on Earth, and it has a wingspan of about 2.4 metres, the post said. Vertically, that’s slightly taller than Gheorghe Muresan, the tallest person to ever play for the NBA.

Photographer Sandra Moss struggled for words when asked to explain how it felt to see the bird last week.

“I can’t explain how exciting it is,” she said in an interview Monday. “It’s an incredible feeling to know that that bird has chosen us. That’s what it feels like.”

“I wouldn’t have liked to have a pet or anything in my arms when he was there,” she added. “He’d probably take you and the pet.”

Steller’s sea eagles are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and fewer than 5,000 adults remain in the world. They are typically found in Russia, Japan and along the Korean Peninsula, but sightings have been reported along the east coast of North America over the past few years.

On Facebook, members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Birdwatching Group have been tracking what is presumably the same Steller’s sea eagle over the years. Pictures show it nesting in Trinity Bay in 2023, or standing on floating ice in the Codroy Valley earlier this year.

The photos reveal the bird’s distinctive white stripes over its wings, and its formidably sharp, hooked beak.

The eagle feasts on fish, crabs, shellfish and small animals. It will even eat young seals, according to the Los Angeles Zoo.

Moss first saw the bird last year in Trinity, N.L., on a boat tour she took specifically because the eagle had been spotted in the area. She was among the many birders who were tipped off early about the bird’s arrival in Terra Nova Park, which spreads out along Bonavista Bay, on Newfoundland’s northeast coast.

She and her husband first went into the park by boat, but they didn’t see the eagle. On Dec. 16, they drove in, and she saw it surveying the landscape from high atop a tree.

With 10 minutes to spare before park employees locked the front gates, Moss moved quickly and snapped about 500 shots. She was shaking with excitement when she got back to the car.

“It’s just amazing. It’s so unique. It’s huge,” she said. “My favorite thing is to photograph bald eagles. And no bald eagle comes close to the size of this bird.”

As long as weather permits, Terra Nova National Park will be open every day until Dec. 31 except Christmas and Boxing Day so people can try to spot the special animal, officials say.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press