The bald eagle, a majestic and powerful bird of prey, was a common sight along the America’s eastern seaboard as early explorers arrived.
These birds primarily eat fish, waterfowl, and small mammals, so they generally live near major bodies of water throughout the continent— along the Atlantic from Labrador to the tip of south Florida, and along the Pacific from Baja California to Alaska.
Because they were frequently seen in the areas where colonists were settling, the impressive bird came to mind when the Founding Fathers were looking for symbolic ways to represent the country.
In 1782, the bald eagle was featured on the American Seal. Two years later, the bird was also selected to be our national bird.
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Continental Congress Wanted a “Coat of Arms”
During the early 1780s, members of the Continental Congress wanted a “coat of arms” of sorts–a symbolic depiction of what the country was to stand for. They envisioned that the national seal would be used for display and to affix on treaties and other official documents.
There were many opinions about the choice of national symbol from members of the Continental Congress. Three design committees worked on possibilities. Finally, the responsibility was handed over to Philadelphian Charles Thomson (1729-1824) an Irish-born Patriot who served as secretary of the Continental Congress and was on the Great Seal Committee.
Thomson took into account the work done by two previous design committees. He also consulted scholar and Philadelphia attorney William Barton (1754-1817), who had a great deal of knowledge about the types of coats of arms used by European countries. It is thought that Barton was the individual who suggested using a bald eagle with its wings outspread as part of the design.
Benjamin Franklin objected. He felt the eagle was a bird of bad moral character, and that the wild turkey was more fitting. “It [the turkey] is a bird of courage,” according to Franklin.
Nonetheless, the bald eagle won out.
Creation of the Great Seal
After working with the designs suggested by the previous committees as well as comments from William Barton, Charles Thomson put together the final design for the Great Seal in June 1782.
The American eagle is the focal point. It depicted a bird with its wings outspread and rising. In the eagle’s right talon, Thomson placed the olive branch suggested by the second committee. The eagle was to face to the right, showing the country’s preference for peace.
In the bird’s left talon, the eagle holds a symbol of war. In this case, a bundle of thirteen arrows.
On a scroll in the eagle’s beak, Thomson put the motto E Pluribus Unum suggested by the first committee.
In the Words of the Founders
Thomson’s own description is meaningful as it explains so much of what our Founding Fathers had in mind for the country:
“The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valor, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress. The Constellation denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers. The Escutcheon is born on the breast of an American Eagle without any other supporters to denote that the United States of America ought to rely on their own Virtue.”
Though we have a sketch of what the Founders had in mind, it was intended as only a guideline.
For almost 250 years now, the Great Seal of the United States has ratified international agreements of peace, cooperation, and trade. Representing the people of America, it seals our promise to other nations.
The National Bird
Two years after a seal was approved, the eagle was chosen as the national bird for its long life, great strength, and majestic looks.
If we moved forward in time to the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy stated, “The Founding Fathers made an appropriate choice when they selected the bald eagle as the emblem of the nation. The fierce beauty and proud independence of this great bird aptly symbolizes the strength and freedom of America.”
About the Bird
The bald eagle is the only eagle native to North America. The birds primarily live near water in order that their food supply is nearby. The eyesight of these birds is so good that they can spot a single fish from a mile away.
Eagles can weigh up to 15 pounds and have wing spans of about 7 feet. They mate for life and may return to the same nest year after year. Nests are generally located at the tops of trees. Because nests are added on to each year, some nests can be as large as ten feet across.
In the wild, bald eagles are thought to live to be about 30 years old. However, many do not survive to adulthood. Firstborns may do away with siblings to get rid of competition for food, and more than half of the eaglets starve to death their first winter, because they have not yet perfected their hunting skills.
As the human population expanded throughout North America, the bald eagle population decreased. Pesticides and destruction of their nesting areas were mainly to blame.
Fortunately, the bird count in Alaska has always been higher, so while that state’s bird population suffered for a time, it has rebounded more quickly. Today eagles are plentiful. Visitors can admire them as easily as if they were robins.
Protecting the Bird
The first time Congress gave legal protection to the bald eagle was in 1940 with the Bald Eagle Protection Act. The law prohibits anyone without a permit for “taking” bald eagles. “Taking” is described as removing or disturbing the birds. There are criminal penalties for possessing, bartering, or transporting a bald eagle or any part of the bird’s nest or egg.
This has put American law at odds with the cultural practices of Native American tribes. Many tribes consider eagles to be “master of the sky” and use the bald eagle or its feathers symbolically in celebrations. Tribes never killed wantonly. Most tribes had a specifically-trained tribal member who was skilled at killing the eagle or eagles needed for ceremonies.
But for reasons beyond Native Americans, the numbers of bald eagles kept dropping. In 1962, the government passed a federal statute to protect both the bald and the golden eagle. It, too, specifies that bird parts, nests, and eggs—and the birds–are not to be molested or disturbed. However, permits can be obtained to possess the eagles parts and feathers for religious purposes and lawful activities.
Problems with Progress
In addition to considering the cultural needs of Native Americans, the government has needed to consider situations when progress has interfered with eagles and their habitats. In 2009, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was amended to provide for permits to relocate eagles near airports and certain utilities.
The growth of the wind turbine movement also presented problems. Eagles sometimes fly into the turbine and are injured or killed. Companies have implemented ways to mitigate these incidents, but there is not yet a way to bring those numbers to zero. As of 2011, the US Fish and Wildlife Service added a provision for the wind energy industry to apply for “incidental take” permits to avoid penalties.
When Alaska became a state in 1959, that brought their wildlife under federal protection, and it has been needed. In the early part of the twentieth century, salmon fishermen felt eagles were interfering with the salmon catch. Bounties were offered for killing them.
Alaska
In 1973, the passage of the Endangered Species Act further solidified protection. By 1995, two decades after banning the use of DDT and other laws specifically protecting both the birds and their nesting trees, the status of the eagle was upgraded to “threatened” in the lower 48.
Off Endangered Species List
In 2007 the Interior Department took the American bald eagle off the endangered species list but the birds are still protected under both the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
The species has recovered dramatically and as of early 2021 (the most recent count), at least 316,000 bald eagles are believed to occur in the lower 48 states.