Draft:National Bird Initiative

• Comment: Which part of "we don't use external links in the body of an article" do you not understand? Theroadislong (talk) 19:39, 19 August 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: the issues have not been addressed. Theroadislong (talk) 21:03, 15 August 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Please note we don't use external links in the body of an article. Theroadislong (talk) 19:07, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: press releases and Cooks own book are not independent sources. Theroadislong (talk) 19:05, 14 August 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Majority of the article lack sources. Ca ^{talk to me!} 15:59, 8 June 2025 (UTC)

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National Bird Initiative was a legislative campaign to officially designate the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as the national bird of the United States. The initiative was led by author and eagle memorabilia collector Preston Cook in collaboration with the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. On December 23, 2024, President Joe Biden signed the designation into law following bipartisan approval in Congress.^[1][2]

History

In 1782, the Second Continental Congress selected the bald eagle as the national symbol of the United States, adopting it for use on the Great Seal of the United States.^[3] The bald eagle subsequently appeared on emblems and official seals across numerous federal agencies, including the Presidential Seal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Postal Service, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, the Transportation Security Administration, and the United States Department of State.

In 2010, while researching his book American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem, Cook discovered that no law had formally designated the bald eagle as the national bird.^[4] In 2011, he wrote to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who confirmed in a written response that no such designation existed.^[5]

In 2024, Cook formed a committee to advance the National Bird Initiative. Members included Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jack E. Davis, communications executive and former National Eagle Center board member John Wodele, as well as a legislative lobbying and public relations team. Cook drafted proposed legislation, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Brad Finstad.^[6]

Congressional co-sponsors

The bill received bipartisan support, with co-sponsors including:^{[citation needed]}

• Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R–WY)
• Sen. Tina Smith (D–MN)
• Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R–OK)
• Rep. Angie Craig (D–MN)
• Rep. Tom Emmer (D–MN)
• Rep. Betty McCollum (D–MN)
• Rep. Pete Stauber (D–MN)
• Rep. Michelle Fischbach (D–MN)
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–MN)
• Rep. Dean Phillips (D–MN)
• Rep. Dan Newhouse (R–WA)
• Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R–WI)
• Rep. Donald Beyer (D–VA)
• Rep. Stephanie Bice (R–OK)
• Rep. Andy Barr (R–KY)
• Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D–CO)
• Rep. Joe Neguse (D–CO)

Support from non-governmental organizations

Supporters included the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST), representing 35 sovereign tribal nations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan.^[7] The Korean War Veterans Association and the Military Chaplains Association also endorsed the legislation.^{[citation needed]}

Passage of the bill

The U.S. Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent on July 29, 2024.^[8] The U.S. House of Representatives approved it without opposition on December 16, 2024. President Biden signed the measure into law on December 23, 2024.^[1][2] The enactment was covered in national and international media.^[9] Public commemorations were held at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, on December 30, 2024, and on March 19, 2025, recognizing the contributions of the bill's sponsors.^[10][11]

References

1. "Text - S.4610 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the bald eagle as the national bird". United States Congress. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
2. Associated Press (24 December 2024). "Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the US". Associated Press. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
3. Nix, Elizabeth (25 February 2015). "How Did the Bald Eagle Become America's National Bird?". History.com. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
4. Cook, Preston (2019). American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem. San Francisco, CA: Goff Books. ISBN 978-1-941806-28-9.
5. Magner, Mike (5 August 2024). "Senate swoops in, centuries late, to name bald eagle national bird". Roll Call. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
6. Timar-Wilcox, Estelle (17 December 2024). "Minnesota-backed bill to make bald eagles the national bird heads to Biden's desk". MPR News. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
7. Dell'orto, Giovanna (13 July 2025). "Bald eagle's new status as the official US bird brings pride and hope to many Native Americans". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
8. "Text - S.4610 - 118th Congress (2023-2024)". United States Congress. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
9. Halpert, Madeline (25 December 2024). "Bald eagle officially declared US national bird after 250 years". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
10. Mohs, Marielle (30 December 2024). "Minnesota Eagle Center, Sen. Klobuchar celebrate passage of National Bird Bill". CBS News. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
11. Arney, Judy (25 March 2025). "Congressman Brad Finstad visits the National Eagle Center". The Wabasha County Herald. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

External links

• John Wodele – presentations
• Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes
• Military Chaplains Association
• "American Eagle Collection". Retrieved 23 July 2025.
• Cook, Preston (2019). American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem. San Francisco, CA: Goff Books. ISBN 978-1-941806-28-9.