On Saturday, a Steller's sea eagle escaped from the enclosure of Pittsburgh's National Bird Park. Despite the heroic efforts of the staff at the bird park and numerous sightings on social media in the local community, the sea eagle, named Kodiak, is still at large.
Stehler's seahawk, known scientifically as Haliaeetus pelagicus, is one of the most fierce birds of prey in the world. Stehler's sea hawk can weigh up to 20 pounds and is named after the German naturalist Georg Stehler. The SeaHawk of Steyler has a yellow beak, a white tail and white feathers on top of its wings. It is larger than a condor and has a wingspan of about 6 feet.
Witnesses found Kodiak's nest around the Pittsburgh neighborhood, but it was difficult to catch. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post, chartered falconer Richard Lawson said it wasn't just a matter of throwing a net at it, and that specialized traps had to be used.
Bird Park has been posting the latest information on social media and is very close to getting Kodiak back, but so far, it hasn't been caught. On Thursday, Bird's Nest's animal care specialists camped to monitor its habitat on a tall tree in the city's North Park area, and they confirmed it was in good condition. They tried to lure it with some food, but it didn't come down.