One thing missing from the Dec. 31 article regarding the sighting of the rare Steller’s sea eagle is the derivation of its name.
It was discovered by German botanist Georg Wilhelm Steller (March 10, 1709-Nov. 14, 1746). He is also responsible for the discovery of the Steller’s sea lion, Steller’s sea cow and the spectacled cormorant (both extinct) and three species endangered or in severe decline (Steller’s sea lion, Steller’s eider and, of course. the Steller’s sea eagle).
The sea cow, in particular, a massive northern relative of the dugong, lasted only 27 years after Steller discovered and named it. The sea cow had a limited population that quickly became victim of overhunting by the Russian crews that followed.
The Steller’s jay is one of the few species named after Steller that is not currently endangered. In his brief encounter with the bird, Steller was able to deduce that the jay was kin to the American blue jay, a fact that seemed proof that Alaska was indeed part of North America.
Jim Konkel
Scarborough
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