Rare eagle continues its tour of America
The eagle is native to parts of Russia and Japan.
In December, a rare Steller's sea eagle was spotted in Massachuestts, thousands of kilometres from its native land, which includes Russia and Japan.
Now, the bird has turned up in Maine, where it has been relaxing by the coast, eating fish and ducks, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Birdwatchers and scientists have flocked to catch a glimpse of the eagle, which has global population of only a few thousand members.
Scientists aren't sure why it has flown so far off course. Speaking with AP, Maine Audubon staff naturalist Doug Hitchcox said the eagle has more than enough to eat, and the environment is similar to its usual surroundings so it doesn't appear to be in any danger.
“This one is so far off course, it’s just purely speculation to say it could go back [to its native habitat] and then return. There is no reason it couldn’t make its way back to Japan or Russia,” Wilcox told the outlet.
“It seems to be doing OK.”
While unusual, AP says it isn't out of the ordinary for birds to make return visits to locales far away from their usual range.
With a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres and weighing up to 9 kilograms, Steller's are one of the world's tallest eagles.
