The bald eagle has been lauded as a symbol of the United States, but it wasn't officially the national bird until Tuesday.

The House of Representatives has officially passed a bill to reaffirm the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States. The unexpected move sparked a wave of mixed reactions, with critics questioning the

The bald eagle, a symbol of the nation for over 200 years, returned from near extinction to become America's bird − officially − this week.

The bald eagle has been synonymous with the U.S. since the dawn of the country more than 240 years ago. But it wasn't until President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Christmas Eve that the bald eagle officially became the national bird of the U.

President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that amended title 36 of the United States Code and designated the bald eagle as the official national bird. The bill

While it's been a symbol of the nation since its the early days, it took the president's signature on Christmas Eve to make it the our national bird.