World's Most Famous Eagle

Photos courtesy
Story by Lee Juillerat, Courtesy of Herald and News
Reprinted with Permission

Bald eagle A-46, which was photographed by Jack Noller at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge Christmas Day, has since been identified at Stephen Jr., the world's most famous eagle.

Jack Noller has never considered himself a celebrity-seeking paparatzi.

He is now.

Noller was photographing bald eagles at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge Christmas Eve day when he spotted an immature eagle with tag and, apparently, a radio. After taking several images, he emailed them to Charlotte Ann Kisling of Dorris, a well-known birder.

Kisling did some investigating and learned A-46 is actually Stephen Jr., who she calls the world's most famous bald eagle.

"I've been waiting 2-1/2 years to see this eagle," said Kisling, who did just that Christmas Day. "I just knew eventually it would show up here."

Stephen Jr. is named after Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central television's "The Colbert Report." It was hatched from an egg found on Santa Cruz Island, one of Southern California's Channel Islands, at the San Francisco on April 17, 2006 as part of the zoo's California Bald Eagle breeding program. It was released on the island June 8, 2006, after being equipped with a blue tag and GPS unit. Since then, Colbert has regularly reported on Stephen Jr. during his mock newscasts.

"I watch the Stephen Colbert show regularly," Kisling said.

The GPS unit has tracked Stephen Jr. on his seasonal travels from California through Oregon and Washington to British Columbia and back south. Based on that tracking information, which is available on the Internet, it appears Stephen Jr. might have previously and anonymously visited the Klamath Basin.

The sightings and photographs have stirred interest in the bird-watching world. Noller has been contacted about using his photos at various Web sites. Kisling wonders if Colbert might do an update on his television show

"I am sure that Stephen Sr. will be happy that his 'baby' is back in California, but just barely. It was seen flying off with prey remains when I last saw it," he said of his Christmas Day siting. "It is being seen at the exit of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge along Stateline Road."

"He is looking very good," Dr. Peter Sharpe of the Institute for Wildlife Studies in Avalon, Calif., which has been tracking the eagle's movements, said in an email to Kisling.

"It was my Christmas present to see it," Kisling said of seeing Stephen Jr. on Christmas Day. "Now that I know who it is I'm excited. It took off its sunglasses"

The travels of Stephen Jr., also known as bald eagle A-46, have been regularly featured on The Colbert Report on the Comedy Central television network since his on-air birth April 17, 2006. Information about the eagle is featured on the Stephen Jr. Web site at www.wikiality.com/Stephen_Jr.

Although not recently updated, its movements on where he has been are available at the Institute of Wildlife Studies Web site at www.iws.org. Look under the "Interactive" tab for the eagle tracking.

 

Stephen Colbert's fictional Stephen Colbert character hasn't always been proud of Stephen Jr., the bald eagle also known as A-46. On televised newscasts and on his Web site, Colbert said he has been disappointed by Stephen Jr.'s excursions to Canada. Saying, "Why couldn't he have just been born gay?"

On a positive note, when Stephen Jr. first crossed into Canadian airspace in August 2006, Colbert noted Junior was "feasting on fresh Canadian salmon, looking for Vietnam draft dodgers and stopping terrorist pigeons from attempting to cross our northern border."

On his Web site, Colbert offers factoids about Stephen Jr., including, "He could take your arm off," "Hates pelicans, just like his Dad," "Likes to drop deer heads to cause power outages," "Has his own ice cream flavor: Stephen Jr.'s AmeriFlown Dream," and, "Has pooped on Goliath mid-flight."

"The Colbert Report" is a Peabody and Emmy award winning satirical television program on Comedy Central. It is a spin-off and counterpart to "The Daily Show," and satirizes personality-driven political pundit programs like Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor."

For more about Stephan Jr. See: