{"id":2206638,"date":"2026-08-16T06:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T05:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2206638"},"modified":"2026-08-15T13:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:24:34","slug":"with-deadly-talons-the-size-of-a-human-hand-and-a-prehistoric-looking-beak-this-is-one-of-natures-most-terrifying-giants-able-to-reach-speeds-of-100mph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/with-deadly-talons-the-size-of-a-human-hand-and-a-prehistoric-looking-beak-this-is-one-of-natures-most-terrifying-giants-able-to-reach-speeds-of-100mph\/","title":{"rendered":"With deadly talons the size of a human hand and a prehistoric-looking beak, this is one of nature’s most terrifying giants, able to reach speeds of 100mph"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Steller\u2019s sea eagle looks like a character that you might find in a fantastical children\u2019s book rather than a real flesh-and-blood animal.<\/p>\n

It is jaw-droppingly huge, with striking dark and white feathers, a bright-yellow bill so large and powerful it seems almost prehistoric, and taloned feet roughly the size of a human hand. Found in the cold coastal margins of north-east Asia, this magnificent raptor is built for ice, salmon runs and sea winds \u2013 and is the heaviest eagle alive today.<\/p>\n

How big is the Steller\u2019s sea eagle?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Steller\u2019s sea eagle is widely regarded as the heaviest living eagle, with large females reaching about 9kg. Its wingspan can approach 2.45m, meaning that when it opens its wings fully, it is wider than most human adults are tall.<\/p>\n

Other eagles, including the\u00a0harpy eagle<\/a>\u00a0and Philippine eagle, can rival it in different measures of size, but for sheer mass the Steller\u2019s sea eagle is hard to beat.<\/p>\n

Where does the Steller\u2019s sea eagle live?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"A
A Steller\u2019s sea eagle, native to East Asia.Credit…Design Pics Inc.\/Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Steller\u2019s sea eagle is known to breed in northeastern Siberia in Russia, on the coastline and islands of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. The Kamchatka Peninsula is a stonghold. It is closely tied to rocky sea coasts and rivers with cliffs or mature trees suitable for nesting.<\/p>\n

In winter, the Steller\u2019s sea eagle often moves south, with many individuals travelling to Hokkaido in Japan and the southern Kuril Islands. A few turn up much farther afield, including in Korea, China and, very occasionally, North America. Such vagrants cause understandable excitement: a bird this large, this rare and this spectacular is not easily overlooked.<\/p>\n

Who was Steller?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Georg Wilhelm Steller was an 18th-century German naturalist with a talent for attaching his name to spectacular animals. While exploring the Russian Far East and Alaska on an expedition led by Danish cartographer Vitus Bering, he described several northern Pacific species, including Steller\u2019s jay, Steller\u2019s eider, the extinct Steller\u2019s sea cow and, of course, the Steller\u2019s sea eagle.<\/p>\n

What does it eat?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How does it hunt?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Steller\u2019s sea eagle may watch from a tree, cliff or other perch before launching itself at prey. It also hunts from the air, diving towards water and snatching fish in its powerful talons. At times, it stands in shallow water or on ice and simply grabs fish as they pass.<\/p>\n

Like other eagles, it practises kleptoparasitism, which means stealing food from other birds. Given its size, it is well equipped for this. A smaller bird with a fish has good reason to be nervous when the Steller\u2019s sea eagle appears overhead.<\/p>\n

How fast is the Steller\u2019s sea eagle?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

They can cruise at around\u00a030mph but when diving to catch prey they can reach an impressive 100mph<\/p>\n

How does it breed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Steller\u2019s sea eagle builds an enormous nest, or aerie, high in a large tree or on a rocky cliff, often close to the shoreline. A pair may return to the same nest year after year, adding fresh branches until the structure becomes huge. Some aeries can reach 1.8\u20132.4m across.<\/p>\n

Mating begins in late winter and by spring the female usually lays one to three greenish-white eggs, which hatch after about 38\u201345 days. Although more than one chick can be raised, often only one survives. The young eagle is downy and helpless at first, but grows quickly on a rich diet of fish and may be ready to fly at around 10 weeks old.<\/p>\n

Does it have any predators?<\/strong><\/h2>\n