With twice the mass of a bald eagle and only 5,000 or so of them at all, the Steller’s sea eagle is the type of creature that draws a crowd..
A rare bird that spent several months in the state last year has returned for the second straight year.
Maine Audubon said the Steller's sea eagle, which is native to eastern Asia, "apparently roosted in the pines off the north side of the Back River bridge" connecting Georgetown and Arrowsic on Sunday.
"Viewing from the Rt 127 bridge presents major safety issues (both for viewers and for drivers)," Maine Audubon wrote on its website. "Police stopped by today and needed to remind people to park completely off the road, and stay out of the road. Be sure to keep to one side of the bridge, and make safety the number one priority."
The Steller's sea eagle is one of the most rare raptors in the world. Their breeding grounds are in far eastern Russia, but each winter they migrate to Japan, Korea and China.
It was first spotted in Maine in late 2021 and ultimately spent about three months in the state. It attracted huge crowds of bird watchers from all over the U.S. and Canada. There are only about 4,000 of them in the world.
Doug Hitchcox of Maine Audubon told News Center Maine last year that he wasn't sure why the bird would be so far from home but it might be looking for a fertile habitat where it could start a satellite community.
