Local News

Rare eagle spotted in Massachusetts, thousands of miles away from home in Asia

The eagle was seen near the Taunton River.

A rare Steller’s sea eagle was spotted along the Taunton River. It's the first documented sighting of the species, which is native to Asia, in Massachusetts. David Ennis and MassWildlife

By Mia McCarthy

1 minute to read

A rare sea eagle native to Asia was spotted in Massachusetts — thousands of miles away from home — according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife on Monday.

The bird — known as a Steller’s sea eagle — was reportedly seen last week near the Taunton River. MassWildlife wrote that these birds can weigh up to 20 pounds and can have a wingspan up to eight feet.

The bird is native to China, Japan, Korea, and eastern Russia, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

The division reported they believe this is the same Steller’s sea eagle spotted in Alaska and Canada. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine from November, the same bird is believed to have traveled to Nova Scotia, Texas, Quebec, and New Brunswick.

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The bird was first seen in North America on Alaska’s Denali Highway in August 2020.

The eagle is most identifiable for its yellow beak and white patterned feathers on its wings, as seen in the photo MassWildlife posted.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the bird is certainly lost, which is not uncommon for birds.  Vagrancy — when birds lose their path — happens when birds either make a navigation error or get lost due to a storm.

“It’s like an avian soap opera,” an avian vagrancy expert Alexander Lees told the New York Times. “We’re all rooting for it. Will it make it home? Or is it doomed to never see another species of its own in its lifetime?”

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