<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> for more than 240 years, has just earned an overdue honour: It officially became the country's national bird.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle — familiar to many because of its white head, yellow beak and brown body — as the national bird.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The bald eagle has appeared on the </span><a href="https://diplomacy.state.gov/the-great-seal/" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><span>Great Seal</span></a><span> of the United States, which is used in official documents, since 1782, when the design was finalised.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/alaska-airlines-passenger-wing/f4931782-6e9c-4a84-9cb3-7bd0dcc1491f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Passenger 'opens door, steps out on wing of plane' in US</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The seal is made up of the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto "E Pluribus Unum" ("Out of many, one") and a constellation of stars.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Congress that same year designated the bald eagle as the the national emblem, and its image appears in a host of places, ranging from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and US currency, according to </span><a href="https://www.usa.gov/flag" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><span>USA.gov</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it had never been officially designated to be what many had just assumed it was — the national bird.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/usa-bald-eagle-named-official-bird-of-us-biden-signs-bill/1266309e-1601-484f-a683-a4ebc28faf83" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The bald eagle is indigenous to North America.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>