As we all know, we celebrate this nation’s first 250 years on July 4. And what a wonderful country.

I thought I would wait until the Times News put together a great publication detailing some moments and significant roles our region played in this country’s growth.

I made the wrong assumption that on the same July 4 day we declared our independence that the bald eagle was automatically confirmed as our nation’s symbol. Well, it was “sort of close.” I was only 248 years off the mark. The bald eagle was never officially designated our national bird until 2024. Well, here’s the rest of the scoop.

The Second Continental Congress appointed three men to select the symbol. They wanted to make a very appropriate Seal of the United States, which originally included a white eagle. There is no such bird. And yes, Ben Franklin was one of the three men, and he did not officially declare his disdain for the eagle and preference for the turkey. A letter to his daughter actually contained his words to that effect.

Eventually, the job of officially selecting our symbol ended up with the Secretary of Congress making the decision to select, what I believe, to be the best possible bird to represent this great nation.

The rationale for the bald eagle choice was because of its majestic look, its apparent strength and its long life, things that were hoped to be symbolic of this new and growing nation. I’m sure you cannot find an argument against the bald eagle’s majestic look. I will have to admit that even now after observing hundreds and hundreds of eagles, and sometimes two or three times a day, I still get that birding thrill when I see one.

Everyone from my sister, former students, fellow members of Ben Salem Church’s choir to Times News readers seem to feel the same way. I regularly hear a comment where someone says: “I saw a bald eagle today at …” Majestic, it sure is.

Regarding strength, I invite you to watch an eagle take flight with its powerful 7-foot wingspan, or even better, watch a video clip of one, in flight, snatch a fish nearly its same weight from the water’s surface and carry it off to its perch or nest. Strong, they sure are.

Its long life is accurate as well. If they avoid getting lead poisoning or the avian flu, and a challenging first year as a juvenile, they can live about 15 to 20 or more years. Majesty, strength and long life represent our country, and the bald eagle symbolizes them well.

But our symbol faced many challenges. It came perilously close to being lost forever. In 1978 there were only 400 breeding pairs left in the continental United States. Loss of habitat, little protections, and the main culprit, DDT, almost did them in. With the ban on the use of DDT in 1972, the birds slowly made a comeback. Our citizens, agencies and biologists made bald eagle recovery a priority.

In 1978, it was placed on the Endangered Species List. That offered it protections for activities like stopping construction or disturbing activities near nests, etc. By 1995, our efforts saw it then get placed on the threatened list. Today, it has been removed from threatened status, but is still protected under various laws covering other raptors as well.

In September 1975, on my first trip to Bake Oven Knob for the hawk watch, I and about 15 other birders that day saw one fly by. What a thrill to just see one. Today, Pennsylvania has over 300 nesting pairs, and Carbon County has at least five.

What a great choice for our symbol, what a magnificent bird. And I hope you get that quick little adrenaline surge like I do when one soars slowly over our heads. Congratulations U.S.A. and congratulations to our efforts to keep our symbol’s population strong.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: By the end of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s hawk count in December 2025, they observed 761 bald eagles migrating past the lookout. In 1975, ___ eagles were observed in the fall migration. A. 8; B. 19; C. 40; D. 71

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: A young muskrat is called a kit.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com