Symbols of the US Government: The Bald Eagle

The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail. The Founding Fathers chose the bald eagle to be the national bird of the United States in 1782. This majestic bird can only be found in North America.

The word "bald" does not mean that this bird has no feathers. Instead, it comes from the word piebald, an old word which means "marked with white."