The national animal of the United States is the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a bird of prey adopted as the country's national emblem on June 20, 1782, where it symbolizes freedom, strength, and the independent spirit of the American republic. Though often called the "national bird," the bald eagle functions as the official emblem of the nation, appearing on the Great Seal, on currency, on passports, and on the seals of countless federal agencies.
How the Bald Eagle Became America's Emblem
The choice was the final step in a six-year design process. The Continental Congress first asked a committee that included Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to design a national seal in 1776, but it took until 1782 for Congress to approve the version drawn by Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress. He placed an American bald eagle at the center, wings spread, and on June 20, 1782, the design was officially adopted.
The eagle on the Great Seal grips a bundle of 13 arrows in its left talon and an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives in its right, representing the original states and the nation's wish for peace balanced against its readiness to defend itself. Its head is deliberately turned toward the olive branch, signalling a preference for peace. In its beak the eagle holds a scroll bearing the Latin motto E Pluribus Unum — "Out of many, one."
Why an Eagle, and Franklin's Famous Objection
The Founders favored the bald eagle for its majestic appearance, long lifespan, soaring flight, and the fact that it lived only in North America, making it uniquely American. The eagle had also long carried associations with power and sovereignty, having appeared on the standards of ancient Rome and other republics.
Not everyone approved. In a 1784 letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin criticized the bald eagle as a bird of "bad moral character" because it often steals fish caught by smaller birds rather than catching its own. He jokingly suggested the wild turkey would have been a "much more respectable bird" and a "true original native of America." Franklin's remarks were private and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and the bald eagle was never seriously in danger of being replaced.
The Bird Itself
The bald eagle is one of the largest raptors in North America. Adults are unmistakable, with a snow-white head and tail set against a dark brown body and wings, a heavy yellow hooked beak, and bright yellow eyes and feet. The name is misleading: the eagle is not bald at all. "Bald" derives from an older meaning of the word, related to "piebald," referring to its white-headed appearance.
- Scientific name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Wingspan: up to about 2.3 meters (7.5 feet)
- Weight: roughly 3 to 6.3 kilograms, with females larger than males
- Lifespan: typically 20 to 30 years in the wild
- Eyesight: estimated four to eight times sharper than a human's
Bald eagles are opportunistic feeders. Fish make up the bulk of their diet, snatched from the surface with their talons, but they also take waterfowl, small mammals, and carrion. They build enormous nests of sticks high in tall trees near water, returning year after year and adding to them; the largest recorded nests measure over 2 meters across and can weigh as much as a small car.
Where Bald Eagles Live Today
Bald eagles range across the United States, Canada, and northern Mexico, always favoring areas near large bodies of open water — coastlines, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs — where fish are abundant. Alaska holds by far the densest population, with an estimated 30,000 or more birds, while populations across the contiguous states have rebounded dramatically in recent decades. For more on the country itself, see our usa country guide.
A Conservation Comeback
The bald eagle very nearly disappeared from the lower 48 states. Hunting, habitat loss, and especially the pesticide DDT — which thinned eggshells so they cracked before hatching — drove numbers down to roughly 417 known breeding pairs by 1963. The 1972 ban on DDT, together with protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, sparked one of the great wildlife recoveries in history. The species was removed from the federal endangered and threatened list in 2007, and today well over 300,000 bald eagles live in the United States. In late 2024, Congress passed legislation formally and explicitly designating the bald eagle the official national bird, codifying a status it had effectively held for more than two centuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the bald eagle become the national animal of the USA?
The bald eagle was adopted as the national emblem on June 20, 1782, when the Continental Congress approved the design of the Great Seal of the United States with the eagle at its center.
Why did Benjamin Franklin oppose the bald eagle?
In a private 1784 letter, Franklin called the bald eagle a bird of "bad moral character" because it scavenges and steals fish from other birds, and he half-jokingly suggested the wild turkey as a more respectable and truly native alternative.
Is the bald eagle endangered today?
No. After near extinction in the mid-20th century, the bald eagle recovered strongly and was removed from the U.S. endangered species list in 2007. Today there are more than 300,000 across the country, with the largest numbers in Alaska.
Why is it called a "bald" eagle if it has feathers on its head?
The bird is not actually bald. The name comes from an older sense of the word meaning white-headed, the same root found in "piebald," referring to its striking white head and tail feathers.