Rahul Somvanshi
President Joe Biden signed legislation on December 24, 2024, officially designating the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as the national bird of the United States, correcting a 240-year oversight in American history.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s 2020 report reveals the bald eagle population stands at 316,700 individuals, with 71,400 nesting pairs. These numbers demonstrate a remarkable recovery for a species that faced extinction decades ago.
Minnesota resident Preston Cook, who discovered this historical oversight, drafted the initial bill. “No one has to change anything; it’s just a correction. It is only a correction in history to make things right and makes things the way they should be,” Cook told NBC News.
The legislation passed both chambers with unanimous support. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led the Senate effort. “Thank you to Senators Klobuchar, Lummis, Mullin and Smith, and Representatives Finstad, Craig and Emmer for their leadership,” the White House stated in announcing the bill’s signing.
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Since 1782, when Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson’s design for the Great Seal was approved, the bald eagle has appeared on military insignias, the presidential flag, and U.S. currency. However, the bird lacked official designation in U.S. Code until now.
Historical records show that founding father Benjamin Franklin opposed this choice. In correspondence with his daughter, Franklin critiqued the bald eagle as “a bird of bad moral character,” preferring the turkey as a national symbol.
The bald eagle’s population recovery demonstrates successful wildlife management strategies. The species’ survival illustrates the impact of environmental legislation and conservation work.
The new law amends Title 36 of the United States Code, formally recognizing what many Americans assumed was already a fact. On Christmas Eve, the White House announced the signing of 50 other bills, including legislation addressing institutional child abuse and campus hazing.
