Facts about Bald Eagle National Symbol

1. 05

   Recovered from fewer than 500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states in the 1960s, bald eagle populations rebounded enough to be removed from the endangered species list in 2007.

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2. 04

   A bald eagle's distinctive white head and tail feathers do not fully develop until the bird reaches sexual maturity at around five years of age.

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3. 03

   Protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, harming or possessing a bald eagle without a federal permit is a federal offense.

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4. 02

   Benjamin Franklin famously opposed the bald eagle as national symbol, privately calling it a bird of bad moral character in a 1784 letter.

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5. 01

   The bald eagle was officially adopted as the national emblem of the United States on June 20, 1782, when the Great Seal was approved.

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