People are traveling hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of miles to the Boothbay region to see one of the world’s rarest birds. National Geographic reports there are about 4,000 Steller’s sea eagles in the world. The bird has an eight-foot wingspan and weighs about 20 pounds. The bird is typically found in Siberia, but also has regular sightings in Japan, China and Korea.

In 2020, the bird was sighted in Alaska before traveling to Texas and to Canada where it was seen in Quebec and Nova Scottia. In mid-December, the Steller’s sea eagle made its way to Massachusetts. The rare bird was seen in Georgetown’s “Five Islands” village on Jan. 2 before making its way to the Boothbay Harbor region. And once the eagle landed in the region, eager bird enthusiasts followed.