Popular Montana Predator Named “National Bird”

When you think of American symbols, what pops into your head? The American flag and our majestic national bird, the Bald Eagle, right? It's been this symbol for our country for over two centuries!

But here's the kicker: the Bald Eagle wasn't even officially our national bird until December 24, 2024! 

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If you have traveled through Montana or live here, you have probably seen a bald eagle. After the ban on DDT in 1972, the eagle population in Montana has made a remarkable recovery, increasing from just 12 breeding pairs to approximately 800 today.

The Quick Fact

President Joe Bidden signed bill S.4610 on December 24, 2024, to officially name the bald eagle the national bird of the United States.

History of How the Bald Eagle Was Chosen...

After much debate about what it should be, the bald eagle first appeared as the national symbol in 1782. The task of creating the nations seal was passed around a few times.

It was initially handed to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, but after their designs failed to gain Congress's approval, it was then passed on to two other committees. All of their designs were also rejected. Tough crowd!

It wasn't until Charles Thomson, the Secretary of Congress, created a design with the help of a lawyer, William Barton, that finalized the bald eagle as the seal.

You can view more history of the bald eagle symbolism HERE.

Who noticed that it was never officially named the Nations Bird?

Preston Cook, a 78-year-old Minnesota eagle enthusiast, is someone we should all be thanking. Mr. Cook was doing research for a book in 2010 about birds and noticed he could not find any legal documentation or presidential proclamation on the national bird.

After being in disbelief, he wrote a letter to the late California Senator Dianne Feinstein. The Senator's staff, after much research, confirmed that no such documentation existed!

It took years of lobbying lawmakers, a partnership with the National Eagle Center, and his letter from the late Senator to finally get a bill in front of the President.

"It was a little bit of a challenge in the beginning because they wouldn't believe me... So they did their research and came up with the same conclusion I came up with: It is not our national bird, and we don't have a national bird." -- Preston Cook  

After almost two and a half centuries, we finally have the bald eagle as the national bird, and we can thank Preston Cook for that.

Credit: NPR, Scouting Mt., History