Better late than never.
The Senate has passed a bill officially designating the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States, a long-awaited recognition for the bird that has been a national symbol for more than 200 years.
invoiceThe bill, sponsored by Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, passed unanimously, clearing the way for the birds of prey to gain their rightful place as official symbols of national pride.
“For more than 240 years, the bald eagle has been synonymous with American values, but it is not yet officially our national bird,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. press release After the bill was passed.
“Today’s bipartisan passage of this bill brings us one step closer to cementing the eagle’s place as an enduring symbol of our freedom, and I look forward to this bill passing the House and being signed into law soon.”
The movement to crown the bird was spearheaded by Preston Cook and Jack E. Davis, educators and authors who specialize in the history of bald eagles.
The pair focused on finding senators from states with the largest bald eagle populations, such as Klobuchar’s state of Minnesota, which has the largest bald eagle population in the country. Second highest concentration Among birds, it is second only to the Alaskan.
America is not the first to use the eagle as a national symbol, with examples dating back to Roman times, and the bird has frequently appeared on memorabilia from fallen empires, including the infamous “SPQR” government coat of arms.
But the founding fathers specifically chose the bald eagle because it is native to America. Although some have since migrated a little further across the border, the bird generally lives and breeds in the United States, with some solitary flyers scattered across Canada and Mexico, according to the report. National Park Service.
The inclusion of the bald eagle on the coat of arms of the largely independent United States in 1782 cemented its status as one of the country’s most iconic symbols, but it was never officially recognized as the official bird.
It was not the first animal considered for the coat of arms, but was instead designed to replace the plain white eagle that was originally intended for the coat of arms. National Museum of American Diplomacy.
Three committees each tried to create a great seal, but failed, and the task was turned over to then-Secretary of State Charles Thomson, who created a synthesis of all three committees’ work, which the Continental Congress adopted in June 1782 as the Great Seal of the United States.
But this was in the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War, and the Founding Fathers needed to focus on more important issues, like running a newly independent nation, so the debate over the eagle was put aside and the legalities surrounding its status were forgotten.
As bald eagles became increasingly difficult to spot in the 20th century, interest in these majestic birds only increased. Their regal status as national symbols led to them being over-hunted. In 1940, the Bald Eagle Act banned the killing or sale of bald eagles, stabilizing eagle populations.
But after World War II, many American farms began using dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (better known as DDT) to repel invading insects. The chemical spilled into nearby waters, causing a drastic decline in local fish populations, the bald eagle’s main food source.
The bald eagles that ate the poisonous fish did not die, but most were rendered infertile, and while a few were able to breed, their eggs were too weak and often crushed when they tried to build nests. National Wildlife Federation.
These birds were added to the endangered species list in 1978, six years after DDT was banned.
Thanks to conservation efforts, breeding programs and strict enforcement of conservation laws since 1940, they were delisted in 2007 and continue to thrive today.
The House of Representatives is expected to follow suit and pass the bill.
