Bald Eagle Officially Declared US National Bird After 250 Years (bbc.com) 30
The bald eagle is now officially the national bird of the US, after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve bestowing the honour upon the white-headed and yellow-beaked bird of prey. BBC News: The bird has been a national emblem in the US for years, appearing on the Great Seal of the US -- used on US documents -- since 1782. But it had not been officially designated to be the national bird until Congress passed the bill last week, sending it to Biden's desk to be signed.
"For nearly 250 years, we called the bald eagle the national bird when it wasn't," said Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center, in a statement. "But now the title is official, and no bird is more deserving." Not everyone has always agreed about the national status of the bald eagle. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin objected to the creature being chosen to represent the country, calling it a "bird of bad moral character."
"For nearly 250 years, we called the bald eagle the national bird when it wasn't," said Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center, in a statement. "But now the title is official, and no bird is more deserving." Not everyone has always agreed about the national status of the bald eagle. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin objected to the creature being chosen to represent the country, calling it a "bird of bad moral character."
he wasn't bald you know, in the beginning (Score:5, Funny)
But yeah, he almost got tired of waiting. He almost went for the procedure.
Quite appropriate in some ways (Score:5, Interesting)
"I didn't tell him that the American Eagle eats carrion, never tackles anything its own size, and will soon be extinct—it does stand for those ideals. A symbol means what you put into it".
- Robert A. Heinlein, “Glory Road”.
Re:Quite appropriate in some ways (Score:5, Informative)
I didn't tell him that the American Eagle eats carrion
Actually the eagle primarily eats fish that it catches live from the water.
never tackles anything its own size
No bird of prey does. That would be stupid.
will soon be extinct
The Bald Eagle was removed from the endangered species list 17 years ago.
Besides those three things he was spot on.
Re:Quite appropriate in some ways (Score:4, Informative)
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Bald eagles eat far more than fish, and they will tackle things close to "their size" depending on how you want to measure that: they can lift off carrying nearly their own weight of prey. Around my area, they will eat fish, when convenient, but they will also take other prey: eggs, chicks and fledglings of other large birds (often seagulls), full grown chickens, small dogs and cats, rodents of all sorts, fresh roadkill (just feasting, if too large). They will occasionally kill full-grown crows and seagulls
Re: Quite appropriate in some ways (Score:2)
Dunno if this is just a thing with birds in general, bit I've often seen them attack and kill other birds, even of their own species if they appear otherwise sick or injured. Might just be a thing where they instinctively take out food competitors if the opportunity presents itself. They don't eat them either, just kill and leave.
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There's a place where I used to work where crows used to roost for the night. This year, during the spring and summer, I started noticing the sidewalk around the trees was full of
"bird of bad moral character." (Score:3)
That characterization seems fitting given teh current political trend in the country.
It's nice to know (Score:4, Insightful)
That Congress is working on the important stuff...
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This is some of the only legislation the GOP-controlled House was able to pass.
Tech news that matters (Score:2)
How does this impact my technical news feed?
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How does this impact my technical news feed?
Apparently, by appearing on it.
My entire life has been a lie! (Score:3)
Ben Franklin was right... (Score:2)
Making an opportunistic feeder like the bald eagle the official national bird of America, the home of predatory capitalism and political maneuvering driven by self-interest, is spot on. The bald eagle’s tendency to steal from others and scavenge mirrors the ethos of a system where success often hinges on exploitation rather than genuine innovation. Franklin’s critique of its 'bad moral character' was more prophetic than he realized... :)
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1st) Birds are not smart. Especially not eagles.
2nd) Wild turkeys are pretty smart. They can't fly and do well.
3rd) Today most you see are not truly wild in that they are used to humans who are no threat until hunting season; a turkey from 100s of years ago would rarely be seen.
Franklin was right in his description of the bald eagle and it fits given the USA became a cowardly bully which is now confirmed with the election of the essence of nearly everything wrong with the USA.
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Ben Franklin (Score:1)
According to legend Ben Franklin is not going to like this...
I never get tired of watching Eagles (Score:2)
I have the good fortune to live near the coast where a family of Sea Eagles live. You can tell the female from the male who is missing a few feathers from his hunts. Several years ago I recall two of them falling and tumbling from the sky, clawing each other getting closer and closer to a collision with the water until they broke out of it at the last moment.
Some time after that I noticed a juvenile eagle hunting, with the female flying above it keeping an eye out from crows that attempt to harass it