Biden signs bill officially making bald eagle America’s national bird

WASHINGTON (AP) — The bald eagle, a symbol of America’s power and strength for more than 240 years, earned a well-deserved honor Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird.

President Joe Biden signed a bill sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle – familiar to many because of its white head , its yellow beak and its brown body – like the national bird. .

The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, used in official documents, since 1782, when the design was finalized. The seal consists of the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-shaped shield, the motto “E Pluribus Unum” and a constellation of stars.

That same year, Congress designated the bald eagle as the national emblem, and its image appears in many places, from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and U.S. currency, according to USA.gov.

But it was never officially designated as what many thought it was: the national bird.

The bald eagle is native to North America. Onondaga Lake is the largest wintering ground for bald eagles in New York state, according to the Montezuma Audubon Center.