Over the years, if you had asked just about anybody in the country what our national symbol was, the response most likely would have been the bald eagle. The eagle, after all, has been used as our national symbol since 1782, appearing on the Great Seal and being featured on official documents, coins and bills, flags, stamps, and government buildings. Though it was used as the national symbol for more than 240 years, Congress had never actually made it “official”; that is, until now. As of Christmas Eve, the President signed a bill passed by Congress that amends Title 36 of the U.S. Code, officially appointing the bald eagle as one of the country’s national symbols. One of the country’s national symbols? That’s right, the bald eagle is the official bird, but the American bison became our official mammal in 2016, and the rose became our official flower in 1986. In 2004, oak trees were named our national tree.

Interestingly, the eagle population was driven to very low levels throughout the country and Pennsylvania, and they were listed as federally endangered species until 1995. One of the biggest factors contributing to their dropping numbers was the use of the pesticide DDT. DDT was banned in 1972, and along with other regulations and environmental improvements, the eagle population has greatly rebounded. By 2007, there were an estimated 10,000 nesting pairs in the United States. By 2020, well over 300,000 eagles were believed to have populated the lower 48 states. In 1980, in Pennsylvania, there were only three known nesting pairs in the entire state, but now, the state has at least 300 known nest sites. I personally know of at least three nesting sites within minutes of the Muncy area.

So, with this great resurgence of eagle numbers, why aren’t more people reporting bald eagle sightings? Well, I think more people are seeing more and more eagles, but I also think there are still a lot of people who don’t “look” for them, and there are those who really don’t know what to look for. I’ll be honest: if I see a big bird in the sky above, I immediately begin looking closely to see if it’s an eagle. Sometimes, I’ll spot eagles in several different places, maybe a couple of times a week, but I’m looking for them. Something else to keep in mind when looking for eagles is that you don’t want to limit yourself to the white head and white tail. Truth is, immature eagles are brown, mottled with some white on their wings and body; the white head and tail have not developed for several years. Adults and immature bald eagles have yellow bills, feet, and feathers halfway down the leg.

Something else to look for is at least a six-foot wingspan; a turkey buzzard is probably the only other local bird that would even come close to that. Something else to look for when scanning the skies overhead is the eagle’s strong, deep strokes in flight and when soaring the flattened wing pattern. A turkey buzzard’s wings are not as flattened when soaring.

It’s not uncommon to find eagles nesting or flying near water, for good reason: fish make up a great percentage of their diet. In winter, open water on streams and rivers is a good place to be on the lookout for eagles. That being said, on several occasions, I have watched eagles drop down to the ice-covered lake where my buddies and I are ice-fishing and watching them make off with some of our day’s catch. Well, now you can be on the lookout for our “official” national bird symbol.