You might be surprised to learn that the bald eagle isn’t officially the national bird of the United States. That’s about to change if Minnesota’s Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, along with their Republican colleagues from Wyoming and Oklahoma, have their way. They’re sponsoring a bill to give the bald eagle its rightful designation.
Senator Klobuchar highlights that Minnesota boasts one of the largest bald eagle populations in the country and is home to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. “The Bald Eagle has been a universally recognizable symbol of patriotism in this country for centuries,” says Senator Smith.
In the U.S. House, Republican Brad Finstad and Democrat Angie Craig are leading the companion bill. Finstad remarks, “Since the founding of our nation, the bald eagle has existed as a symbol of our country’s independence, strength, and freedom.” Minnesota Representatives Dean Phillips, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, and Pete Stauber are also backing the bill.
Fun fact: The story that Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey is just a myth. According to the Franklin Institute, Franklin did call the bald eagle “a Bird of bad moral Character,” but he also noted that the turkey, though “a little vain & silly,” is a “Bird of Courage.”