japan Steller's Sea Eagle

The Steller's sea eagle [Haliaeetus pelagicus] is the biggest bird inthe genus Haliaeetus and is one of the largest raptors overall. Thetypical size range is 85-105 cm (33-41 in) long and the wingspan is195-230 cm (77-91 in). Females typically weigh from 6.8-9 kg (15-20lb), while males are considerably lighter with a weight range from4.9-6 kg (11-13 lb). An unverified record exists of a huge female thatweighed 12.7 kilograms (28 lb).

This species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The main threatsto its survival are habitat alteration, industrial pollution andover-fishing. The current population is estimated at 5,000 and decreasing.

Personally, I think they're one of the prettiest raptors on thisplanet, and seeing dozens of them at the same time is a real treat.

This year there was a lot of pack ice along the coast, so much that wealmost weren't able to leave the harbor with our boat. Luckily, a lotof pack ice usually means a lot of Steller's, and every direction youlooked there were Steller's. There were so many of them, that it wasactually hard to keep an eye on them all.

This is one of my favorite shots from the first day. The pack iceworked very nicely as a giant reflector, and adds context to the shot.

[Nikon D3s, AF-S VR II 200-400/4.0, 1/1250 @ f/8, ISO 400, handheld]

[if you would like to join me on one of our photo tours and workshops,please check out my website: squiver.com]

Photo.net does nasty things to the image - please click on the image to get rid of the jpeg compression artifacts.

Wonderful colors and most impressive environment!

Best regards Marsel!

PDE