It's official: Bald eagle is America's national bird

MARGARETTA TWP. — The American bald eagle, which has made a comeback in Ohio, has now notched another triumph. It only took about 250 years — some might even say a long time even for Congress — but it has finally officially become the national bird of the U.S. News of the bird's official status pleases Mona Rutger, the founder of Back to the Wild, a Castalia-based nonprofit, which, through a medically approved rehabilitation process, returns injured and sick animals back into their natural habitats. Back to the Wild often takes in injured eagles. "The bald eagle is only found in North America," Rutger said. "So to me, it makes really good sense. It's so symbolic for our country." Becoming law On Dec. 24, President Joe Biden signed a stack of bills into law, including Senate Bill 4610, which designates the bald eagle as the national bird. The measure passed Congress with voice votes. The bald eagle was made a part of the Great Seal of the U.S. back in 1782, and it's unofficially been a national symbol for a long time. According to an article by National Public Radio news, a bald eagle enthusiast in Minnesota named Preston Cook realized in about 2010 that the bald eagle had never officially been honored as the national bird. Cook lobbied lawmakers until they finally took action last year. According to Cook, his crusade took a while because many lawmakers falsely believed the U.S. already had the bald eagle as the national bird. "The Second Continental Congress put the bald eagle on the national seal in 1782, but there had never been a law or an executive action designating it as the national bird," a PBS article states. A larger presence Ohio's bald eagle population has been growing at a rapid rate these past few decades. In 1979, only four nesting pairs were recorded. By 2024, that had grown to 841 nesting pairs, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Rutger said the Ohio Division of Wildlife made a major effort to restore the eagle's fortunes in Ohio, going so far as to replace eggs in eagles nest contaminated with the pesticide DDT with eggs that were healthy. People who live near Sandusky Bay in Ohio live in bald eagle country. A nest survey in 2020 found 90 nests in Ottawa County, more than any other county. That was followed by 50 nests in second-place Sandusky County and 32 nests in third-place Erie County. Ohio, though, doesn't have many eagles compared to other states. According to 2024 statistics cited by the Bird Chronicle website, Alaska has about 30,000 breeding pairs of bald eagles and a total population of more than 100,000. Minnesota, whose members of Congress sponsored the eagle bill, came in second with 9,800 breeding pairs. Rutger said Back to the Wild is currently taking care of nine bald eagles and has had as many as 14 on the premises. Hundreds of eagles, well over 200, have been helped at Back to the Wild, she said.