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In a historic move, President Joe Biden signed a bill on Tuesday officially designating the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as the national bird of the United States. Though prominently featured on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782, the bald eagle had never been formally recognized in U.S. law as the country’s official bird.
The bill passed unanimously in both the Senate and the House, marking a rare moment of bipartisan agreement in Congress.
Correcting a Historical Oversight
For nearly 250 years, the U.S. lacked an official avian symbol despite the bald eagle’s long-standing association with national pride and identity. The oversight was rooted in the debates of the Founding Fathers, who struggled to agree on a national seal. In 1782, Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson submitted a design featuring the bald eagle, which was ultimately approved.
The bird’s inclusion was not without controversy. Benjamin Franklin famously opposed the choice, calling the bald eagle a “bird of bad moral character” in a letter to his daughter, though his objections did not prevail.
Now, the new legislation corrects this historical anomaly.
Citizen Advocacy Leads the Way
Minnesota resident Preston Cook played a key role in pushing for the bald eagle’s formal recognition. A self-described lifelong enthusiast of the bird, Cook discovered the legal gap while researching U.S. history. Motivated by what he called a “simple correction,” Cook drafted a straightforward bill to enshrine the bald eagle as the national bird and shared it with lawmakers.
“No one has to change anything; it’s just a correction,” Cook told NBC News earlier this month. “It is only a correction in history to make things right and make things the way they should be.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., spearheaded the legislation in the Senate, rallying bipartisan support. “The bald eagle has been a symbol of our nation for generations,” Klobuchar said. “It’s long past time we recognize it officially in the U.S. code.”
A National Icon Soars Higher
The bald eagle, once on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides like DDT, has made a remarkable recovery over the last few decades. Its resurgence has only strengthened its symbolism as a representation of resilience, strength, and freedom.
With President Biden’s signature, the bald eagle’s symbolic role is now fully cemented in law, offering Americans yet another reason to celebrate their national bird. As Cook stated, “This is one overlooked piece of history that’s finally been fixed.”
