Bald eagle officially declared US national bird after 250 years
The bald eagle has officially been declared the national bird of the United States after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve granting this honor to the white-headed, yellow-beaked bird of prey.
While the bald eagle has long served as a national symbol, appearing on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782, it was only recently that Congress passed a bill designating it as the official national bird, which was then signed into law by Biden.
“For nearly 250 years, we called the bald eagle the national bird when it wasn’t,” said Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative at the National Eagle Center. “But now the title is official, and no bird is more deserving.”
However, not everyone has always agreed with the bald eagle’s status. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin famously opposed the bird’s selection, describing it as a “bird of bad moral character.”
But not all of Congress shared Franklin’s sentiments.
Bald eagles, like other eagles worldwide, had been seen by many as symbols of strength, courage, freedom and immortality for generations, according to the US Department of Veteran Affairs. And, unlike other eagles, the bald eagle was indigenous only to North America.
The legislation designating the bald eagle as the national bird was spearheaded by Minnesota lawmakers. The state is home to what Senator Amy Klobuchar described as one of the nation’s largest bald eagle populations.
The bald eagle is also protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940, which makes it illegal to sell or hunt the creature.
The birds were once on the brink of extinction, but the population has greatly increased since 2009.
The bald eagle bill was one of 50 pieces of legislation that Biden signed into law on Christmas Eve, including a federal anti-hazing law to tackle violence and deaths on university campuses.
