In 1776, the Continental Congress was not looking for a national bird. They just wanted a design for the Great Seal. It took six years to decide on a design. When they did, there was a bald eagle on it. After that, Congress thought the eagle might make a good national bird.

There is a story that bald eagles were disturbed at one of the early battles of the Revolution. They flew over the battle shrieking. The Americans said the birds were crying out for freedom. That may be why the bald eagle was chosen.

Some people said that the bald eagle was not a good choice. It steals food from other birds. It eats dead things. Ben Franklin was not happy about the choice. He said the wild turkey was better. He may have been exaggerating.

The eagle was chosen as the official bird in 1787. It was chosen because it only lives in North America. It is very big and strong. Some states were already using it as their symbols.

The National Emblem Act of 1940 protects the bald eagle. It is illegal to collect the birds or their nests, eggs, or feathers. The bald eagle used to be on the Endangered Species list, too. It was taken off the list in 2007.

The bald eagle is on the President’s flag. It is on several coins and the one dollar bill. The eagle is often used in patriotic pictures.