The bald eagle is finally being recognized as America's national bird. John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesThe bald eagle is featured on American military insignia, currency, stamps and even the helmets of anNFL team. However, the government has never officially recognized it as the United States national birduntil now.On Christmas Eve, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law making the designation official.Bald eagles are a historical symbol of the United States representing independence, strength and freedom, says the new legislation, which Minnesotas Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Brad Finstad introduced over the summer, per theNew York Times Sara Ruberg. The Great Seal of the United States has long featured a bald eagle. Bettmann via Getty ImagesFor more than 200 years, the bald eagle has been featured on the countrys Great Seal, which shows the bird carrying an olive branch and arrows in its talons. Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, proposed the design in 1782, though it received some pushback: Benjamin Franklin once called the creature a bird of bad moral character, according to theFranklin Institute.The U.S.s national tree is the oak, and its national flower is the rose. The national mammal has been the bison since 2016, and all 50 states have a state bird. But until this month, there was no national bird on the books.Preston Cook, an avid collector of bald eagle memorabilia, brought the issue to Congress attention after realizing that the bird didnt have official recognition.Scott Mehus, the education director at MinnesotasNational Eagle Center (which houses Cooks collection), says he was shocked when he learned of the oversight.Preston Cook brought that up to us years ago, and it was like, Oh, come on, youre kidding me, he tellsNBC News Frank Thorp V and Ryan Nobles. Ive been talking in classes all of these years, telling [people] its our nations symbol and our national bird.The Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support in July. When it passed in the House of Representatives earlier this month, Finstad said in a statement: Today, we rightfully recognize the bald eagle as our official national birdbestowing an honor that is long overdue. Bird watchers can see bald eagles in most states. Steven King / Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesBald eagles are native to North America. Bird watchers can spot them in most states, and Alaska is home to the largest eagle population. They were once considered endangered, but their numbers have recovered thanks to government protections.Since 1940, its been illegal to kill, sell, own bald eagles or harm their nests and eggs. In 1972, the government banned the pesticide DDT, which had caused their numbers to dwindle. The eagle population grew in the years that followed, and the birds were removed from the governments endangered species list in 2007.By 2020, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that 316,700 bald eagles soared across the contiguous United Statesfour times their numbers from a decade earlier.Still, theres always more to be done. The new bills passage comes as bald eagles are contending with mounting risks, including climate change and habitat loss, asThe Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of Americas Bird, writes in Audubon magazine.Ed Hahn, the communications director at the National Eagle Center, hopes the new designation can also serve as a reminder of the conservation efforts that helped the eagle population thrive.When we look at some of the issues that are facing other natural resources today, we can look again at our living national symbol and now our official national bird, he tells MPR News Estelle Timar-Wilcox. It shows what we are able and willing to do when we truly value something, when its important to us.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Animals, Birds, Congress, Conservation, Environmental Preservation, Founding Fathers, Government, History, Joe Biden, Law, US Government