Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), one of the heaviest eagles.
Image: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2021 global assessment of Haliaeetus pelagicus says VulnerableChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
Steller's sea eagle is one of the heaviest eagles in the world, a massive raptor with a huge orange bill. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It feeds largely on fish, especially salmon, along northern coasts.
Range & habitat
Coasts of north-eastern Asia, especially the Russian Far East, wintering around Japan and Korea.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Habitat alteration along rivers and coasts
- Lead poisoning from carcasses
- Overfishing of prey
Why it matters
A giant coastal eagle dependent on healthy rivers and fish runs, Steller's sea eagle is a flagship for conserving the coasts and salmon of north-east Asia.
Gallery
Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus).
Image: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Steller's Sea Eagle
- IUCN Red List — look up Steller's Sea Eagle (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web