BENZIE COUNTY, MI -- Despite being a rare sight in the region, a juvenile golden eagle was spotted by two separate birdwatchers last week in Northern Michigan.

Two golden eagles are seen in Moscow Zoo during a mass vaccination campaign against bird flu in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 21, 2006. A young golden eagle was spotted by two separate bird watchers in Northern Michigan in late March 2015.

Known for their massive wingspan and gleaming appearance, the raptor species is a spring transient, said Greg Miller, one of the two spotters who identified the golden eagle.

On his way toward Otter Creek in Benzie County last week, Miller turned his eyes toward the clear blue sky in front of him.

Suddenly, Miller saw a massive hawk-like predator soaring above, and quickly pulled his vehicle to the side of the road to investigate.

"I was lucky," Miller said. "It's one of those things that are all about being in the right place at the right time."

Gazing skyward with his binoculars, Miller found he was wrong initially in thinking the soaring raptor was a hawk. Instead, he turned to his handy bird book, and examined the eagle section before locating the correct species and age.

Noting the bird's visible white spots on the underside of the wings and tail, Miller said the raptor was a perfect match for a young golden eagle. It was the first golden eagle Miller had seen in the area after more than three decades of living there.

About two hours later, another bird watcher, Kathy Kaczynski, spotted an adolescent golden eagle, which Miller believes is the same eagle he saw.

Primarily residing along the western shores of the U.S., golden eagles are one of the largest and fastest raptors in North America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Given their massive size and talon strength, golden eagles are known to attack animals much larger than themselves, including deer and coyotes.

Officials from the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory in Michigan's Upper Peninsula say spot the occasional young golden eagle, though they are uncommon within the region.

RJ Wolcott is a reporter for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Contact him at 616-970-8881, or by email at