Animals / bald-eagle-symbol-america
Facts about Bald Eagle: Symbol of America
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DDT, the pesticide that thinned bald eagle eggshells and devastated their reproduction, was banned in the United States in 1972.
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Bald eagle populations fell so severely from hunting and pesticide use that the species was listed as endangered in the lower 48 states before recovering through conservation efforts.
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A bald eagle's wingspan can reach up to 8 feet, making it one of the largest birds of prey in North America.
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Benjamin Franklin famously opposed the bald eagle as a national symbol, calling it a bird of bad moral character in a letter to his daughter.
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The bald eagle was officially adopted as the national bird and symbol of the United States in 1782, when the Great Seal was established.