The bald eagle has long been considered to be a symbol of strength and freedom in America, and now it has been finally recognized as the national bird of the United States. President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Christmas Eve, a milestone roughly 250 years after the bird first appeared as a national emblem.
The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782 and represents courage, freedom, and immortality. Still, despite that, until Congress passed this bill last week, now signed into law by President Biden, it had not been legally recognized as America’s national bird.
For almost 250 years we called the bald eagle our national bird when it wasn’t,” said Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center. “But now the title’s official and no bird is more deserving.
The bill, promoted by Minnesota lawmakers-a state home to one of the largest bald eagle populations- emphasizes the bird’s status as the only eagle native to North America. Senator Amy Klobuchar underlined its cultural and ecological significance, noting that conservation brought the species back from the brink of extinction.
Not everyone historically was in accord with the bald eagle being the symbolic role of America. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin famously criticized the choice as a “bird of bad moral character,” but time has kept its widespread adoption as a national emblem through generations.
Protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940, which prohibits hunting and selling bald eagles, the species has had a remarkable recovery. Once listed as an endangered species, the bird’s population has increased significantly since 2009 because of sound conservation efforts.
The Bald Eagle Bill was one of 50 pieces of legislation signed into law on Christmas Eve, reflecting a broader focus on symbolic and substantive national priorities.
This official recognition cements the bald eagle’s place, not just as a revered emblem but as a testament to the values of resilience and freedom that define the United States.
