North America’s most famous vagrant, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle, affectionately known as “Stella,” is still present in Newfoundland as recently as this past week. First observed in interior Alaska in August 2020 near milepost 43 of the Denali Highway, just west of the MacLaren River, this wandering sea-eagle began an astonishing journey across the continent. It eventually reached New England in December 2021—first in Massachusetts, then Maine—drawing thousands of birders.

From there, Stella continued into Canada, moving through several provinces before settling in Newfoundland, where the habitat suits this massive and exceptionally rare Asian raptor. As of November 2025, the bird has been seen on the Avalon Peninsula.

📸 Stella in Georgetown, Maine — February 2023 | Chris Roberts