ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 3, 2025
Along the long road from American icon to endangered species and back again, the bald eagle — the national bird of the United States, often seen against a clear blue sky — is having a moment. The eagles find themselves in an environmental updraft of sorts since the early 2000s, when the federal government took the thriving birds off its endangered species list with more states following suit. Culturally, too, the animals are soaring. In December, Joe Biden signed legislation making the raptor the country's national bird (thought that was already the case? More in a bit).