# Steller's Sea Eagle (*Haliaeetus pelagicus*)

The Steller's sea eagle (*Haliaeetus pelagicus*) is a bird of the family Accipitridae, in the order Accipitriformes.

> Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) is one of the heaviest eagles in the world, a dark brown bird with white shoulders, thighs and tail and a massive orange-yellow bill. It breeds on the coasts of the Russian Far East and winters as far south as Hokkaido and Korea, feeding mainly on salmon. With only about 3,600–4,670 mature birds, it is listed as Vulnerable.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Vulnerable
- **Range:** Breeds on coasts and rivers of the Russian Far East; winters south to Hokkaido (Japan) and the Korean Peninsula.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stellers-sea-eagle/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Haliaeetus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Haliaeetus pelagicus |
| Diet | Fish, especially salmon; waterbirds and carrion |
| Habitat | Sea coasts and large rivers and lakes with mature trees |
| Length | 85–94 cm (33–37 in) |
| Weight | Males about 6 kg, females about 9 kg |
| Range | Russian Far East; winters to Hokkaido and Korea |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021) |

## Identification

Adults are dark brown to black with bright white shoulders, thighs, forehead and a long, wedge-shaped tail. The bill is enormous, arched and orange-yellow, and the feet are yellow. Females are much heavier than males, averaging about 9 kg against 6 kg.

## Salmon eagles

Most breeding pairs live along the coasts of Kamchatka, the Sea of Okhotsk and the lower reaches of big rivers, where spawning salmon are abundant. They also take other fish, seabirds and ducks, and in winter gather at fishing ports and on drift ice to scavenge.

## Winter gatherings

Many birds leave the frozen north in winter. Hokkaido in northern Japan is the best-known wintering area, where hundreds of eagles gather on the sea ice and around the Shiretoko Peninsula.

## Why it is Vulnerable

BirdLife International lists Steller's sea eagle as Vulnerable (2021), with an estimated 3,600 to 4,670 mature birds and a decreasing trend. Changes to salmon stocks, development along rivers and coasts, and lead poisoning from ammunition left in carcasses are among the pressures it faces.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Steller's sea eagle the heaviest eagle?

It is usually ranked as the heaviest eagle on average. Large females weigh about 9 kg, similar to the biggest harpy eagles.

### Where does Steller's sea eagle live?

It breeds in the Russian Far East, mainly around Kamchatka and the Sea of Okhotsk, and many winter in Hokkaido, Japan, and on the Korean Peninsula.

### Who was Steller?

Georg Wilhelm Steller, an 18th-century German naturalist who explored Alaska and Kamchatka. Steller's jay and the extinct Steller's sea cow are also named after him.

### How many Steller's sea eagles are there?

BirdLife International estimates 3,600 to 4,670 mature birds (2021), and the number is falling.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Steller's Sea-eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/stellers-sea-eagle-haliaeetus-pelagicus)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Haliaeetus pelagicus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Haliaeetus_pelagicus/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Steller's Sea Eagle

The steller's sea eagle is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stellers-sea-eagle/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.