WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation designating an overdue honor on Tuesday, naming the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States.

The bald eagle has been lauded as a symbol of the United States, but it wasn't officially the national bird until Tuesday.

The bald eagle has been synonymous with the U.S. since the dawn of the country more than 240 years ago. But it wasn't until President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Christmas Eve that the bald eagle officially became the national bird of the U.

The bald eagle, a symbol of the nation for over 200 years, returned from near extinction to become America's bird − officially − this week.

President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that amended title 36 of the United States Code and designated the bald eagle as the official national bird. The bill