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The bald eagle is now officially America’s national bird, after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve granting that honor to the white-headed, yellow-beaked bird of prey.
The bird has been a national emblem in the US for years and has appeared on the Great Seal of the US (used on American documents) since 1782.
But it had not been officially designated as a national bird until Congress passed the bill last week and sent it to Biden’s desk for his signature.
“For nearly 250 years, we called the bald eagle the national bird when it was not,” Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative at the National Eagle Center, said in a statement. “But now the title is official and no bird deserves it more.”
Not everyone has always agreed on the national status of the bald eagle.
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin opposed the creature being chosen to represent the country, calling it a “bird of bad moral character.”
But not all of Congress shared Franklin’s sentiments.
Bald eagles, like other eagles around the world, have been viewed by many as symbols of strength, courage, freedom and immortality for generations, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. And unlike other eagles, the bald eagle was native only to North America.
Legislation designating the bald eagle as the national bird was spearheaded by Minnesota lawmakers. The state is home to what Sen. Amy Klobuchar described as one of the largest bald eagle populations in the country.
The bald eagle is also protected by 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 increased considerably since 2009.
The bald eagle bill was one of 50 pieces of legislation Biden signed into law on Christmas Eve, including a federal anti-hazing law to address violence and deaths on college campuses.
