President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle — familiar to many because of its white head, yellow beak and brown body — as the national bird.

The bald eagle received a title this week that many may have assumed it already had: the national bird of the United States. For centuries, the bald eagle has been a ubiquitous symbol for the country,

Though a longstanding symbol of "independence, strength and freedom," according to Congress, the bird of prey never received a formal designation