When was bald eagle made national bird

History Vault. Recommended for you. How the Troubles Began in Northern Ireland. Did Benjamin Franklin propose the turkey as the national symbol? How Did 'Taps' Originate? How did Washington, D. For six years, the members of Congress engaged in a dispute over what the national emblem should be. As a result of the debate, the bald eagle was chosen because it symbolized strength, courage, freedom, and immortality and that it would look much better as our national symbol. When Europeans first arrived on the North American continent in the 's, there were an estimated 25, to 50, bald eagles, but populations have since dropped for many reasons.

Many eagles were captured for getting too close to poultry or fishing nets; some were captured for falconry; and many eagles were poisoned by pesticides. In , the bald eagle was included on the Endangered Species List. Federal laws, such as the Bald Eagle Protection Act , protect the bald eagle and have led to the recovery of bald eagle populations.

Why was the bald eagle chosen as our national symbol? For a truth, the turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America. Franklin was clearly against the eagle and let everyone know it.

Likewise, the artist John James Audubon agreed with this opinion of the bald, or white-headed, eagle. Nevertheless, selected as our national bird, the eagle has appeared on all official seals of the United States, as well as on most coinage, paper money, and on many U.

It is curious to note the minted eagles have been issued in a great variety of shapes and positions. Also, there is great variation in the species depicted.

Some of the famous images have species other than the bald eaglefor example the famous ten-dollar gold pieces exhibit the "double eagle" instead. Numerous people have complained because many, if not most, of these illustrations show the wide-ranging golden eagle rather than our own national bird, the bald eagle. They feel these representations mislead the general public into believing that they are looking at a bald eagle. The easiest way to distinguish between the golden and bald eagles is by the feathering on the legs.

The golden is feathered down the entire leg, while the bald eagle has no feathers on lower part of the leg until at least two or three years of age, when bald eagles also start developing the white head and tail. Because of their size, bald eagles are not concerned about threats from other birds. However, eagles are often chased by smaller birds, who are trying to protect their young. Bald eagles are unlikely to bother smaller birds or their young, which makes these efforts unnecessary.

Eagles often ignore mobbing behavior by smaller birds.