December saw a couple of interesting pieces of news about the bald eagle – one national, one local but with statewide implications. On December 24 President Joe Biden signed a bill officially designating the bald eagle as the country’s national bird.

The bird of brown and white feathers has long represented the United States as a majestic and soaring symbol, but only this week did a law make it official.

An eagle enthusiast has been lobbying for the designation for years. On Christmas Eve, President Biden signed legislation making it official

The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird.

The bald eagle is now the national bird of the United States. You'd be forgiven if, like just about everyone on social media, you thought that was already the case. But the bald eagle wasn't formally designated as the national bird until last week,

President Joe Biden signed into law legislation 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, yellow beak and brown body — as the national bird.

The bald eagle has been lauded as a symbol of the United States, but it wasn't officially the national bird until Tuesday.

The bald eagle is on the United States' national seal, on U.S. currency. However, until Christmas Eve it wasn't on the books as the national bird.