Ornithologists flocking to island to view eagle native to Europe, Asia

The Associated Press

A threatened eagle native to coastal Europe and northern Asia has made a surprise appearance on Kauai. “This is history in the making,” said Brenda Zaun, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who confirmed sightings of the white-tailed eagle.
While the visit is rare, it isn’t unheard of to see the species outside of its range covering Norway, Iceland, Poland and Greece, as well as Siberia and northern Asia.
One was spotted in Alaska in 2006 and another eagle lived on Kauai for 17 years until its was reportedly killed by a helicopter, Zaun said. The massive bird can grow to a wing span of 8 feet and dines primarily on fish and seabirds, such as albatross and ducks. Known also as the white-tailed sea eagle, the bird can scavenge along the shoreline and also steals food from other birds.
Zaun has already seen one albatross kill from the eagle and confirmed a report of two others. But she says the bird isn’t a threat to the Garden Isle’s bird population.