The American Bald Eagle was unofficially chosen as a National Symbol in 1872, when the Constitution of the United States was ratified. It was not officially nominated as such until 1788. There was a heated debate, led by the great statesman Benjamin Franklin, about this bird becoming the National Bird. Mr. Franklin wanted the turkey which he thought better symbolized the clean, honest, and more straightforward ideals of the American people. His bid was lost, however, in 1789 when George Washington became the first President of the USA, and the Bald Eagle was officially adopted as the “First Bird”.
The American Bald Eagle is the only eagle which is native to North America and it’s only on its native continent that one may find it. Alaska, the 49th State admitted to the Union, is home to about 35,000 of the 70,000 total population. British Columbia boasts about 20,000, and the rest predominantly inhabit the Pacific coastline, with a few scattered throughout the rest of the United States. Population is heaviest in the Pacific Northwest due, in part, to the large amount of salmon found there. Eagles depend greatly on fish as a main part of their...