The bald eagle has entered the U.S. legal code after President Joe Biden signed legislation Tuesday making the predator the official national bird.
Congress passed the bill with unanimous support.
Although the bird of prey is at the center of the United States’ coat of arms, it was never officially recognized as the country’s official bird. Some of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, were tasked with creating a national seal, but were unable to reach an agreement.
In 1782, a version of the coat of arms depicting a bald eagle was submitted and approved by Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. Most Americans are familiar with the seal eagle, which carries an olive branch in one talon, an arrow in the other, and a shield emblazoned with the national flag.
Franklin historically opposed this decision, arguing in a letter to his daughter that the bald eagle was a “morally evil bird.”
In any case, the United States has not had an official bird for about 250 years since its founding.
Preston Cook, a Minnesota resident, has long wanted eagles to become part of the nation’s legal code, and even drafted a bill that he sent to lawmakers.
Cook described himself as a lifelong bald eagle obsessive, and said he decided to push for change himself after learning there was no official U.S. bird. He created a simple bill that would change the code to state that the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocepalus) is the national bird.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, then led a bipartisan group to raise the issue on the Senate floor in July. The bill passed unanimously and passed the House without opposition last week.
“The bald eagle is a symbol of our nation’s freedom and strength, and with the signing of our bill, the bald eagle officially becomes our national bird,” Klobuchar said Thursday.
Cook told NBC News earlier this month that he felt this was a part of history that had been overlooked and needed to be corrected.
“No one has to change anything. It’s just a revision. It’s just a revision of history to make things right and make things the way they should be,” Cook said.
