The bald eagle is now officially the national bird of the United States after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve giving the white-headed, yellow-billed bird of prey that honor.
The bird has been a national emblem in the United States for years and has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, used in U.S. documents, since 1782.
But it wasn’t officially named the 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, even though it wasn’t,” Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Eagle Center’s National Bird Initiative, said in a statement. “But now the title is official and no bird deserves more.”
Not everyone always agreed on the national status of the bird of prey.
Founding father Benjamin Franklin rejected the choice of the bald eagle to represent the country and called him one “Bird of bad moral character”.
But not all members of Congress shared Franklin’s views.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, bald eagles, like other eagles around the world, have been seen by many as symbols of strength, courage, freedom and immortality for generations. And unlike other eagles, the bald eagle was only native to North America.
Legislation declaring the bald eagle the national bird was pushed by Minnesota lawmakers. The state is home to what Senator 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 selling or hunting the animal illegal.
The birds were once threatened with extinction, but since 2009 the population has increased significantly.
The bald eagle bill was one of 50 laws Biden signed into law on Christmas Eve, including a federal anti-hazing law to combat violence and deaths on college campuses.
