Steller’s sea eagle on a snow pile looking into the sky, Hokkaido, Japan

Burly bird

The snow and sea in this photo somewhat conceal the scale of this ample avian – one of the biggest birds of prey in the world. Though named for a noted German naturalist, Steller’s sea eagle does most of its breeding in eastern Siberia, with adults migrating down the Asian seaboard as far as Taiwan. And where it’s present, it’s not hard to spot. A female Steller’s sea eagle (they’re larger than males) can weigh more than 9 kg, and wingspans over 2.7 metres have been reported.