Massachusetts · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 2, § 61
Massachusetts names one groundhog, Ms. G, as official
“Ms. G of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc.”
Home › United States › 36 U.S.C. § 306
United States · 36 U.S.C. § 306
The bald eagle became the national bird by law in 2024
Quote checked October 14, 2026 Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.
What the law says
“The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is the national bird.”
Penalty
This section doesn't print a penalty of its own. Other parts of the United States Code may set one; we haven't looked them up, so we don't state one here.
History note
“(Added Pub. L. 118–206, §1(b), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2699.)”
The earliest year in this note is 2024. That's the earliest year the note prints. It doesn't establish when this wording was enacted, took effect or first appeared.
In plain English
Our reading
The bald eagle's place as the national bird is written into the U.S. Code in one short sentence, and the history note shows when: the section was added by a law dated December 23, 2024.
Written by Silly Rules from the quoted text above. It's a plain reading, not legal advice. We haven't researched how courts read this section or how often anyone enforces it.
- Code
- United States Code
- Section
- 36 U.S.C. § 306, “National bird”
- Topic
- Official state things
- Source
- www.govinfo.gov
More laws about official state things
Minnesota · Minn. Stat. § 1.1496
Minnesota has an official muffin: blueberry
“The blueberry muffin is adopted as the official muffin of the state of Minnesota.”
Nevada · NRS 235.085
Nevada's official state artifact is a duck decoy
“The object of human workmanship known as the tule duck decoy is hereby designated as the official state artifact of the State of Nevada.”
South Carolina · S.C. Code § 1-1-682
Boiled peanuts are the official snack, with an allergy caveat
“Boiled peanuts are the official state snack food.”
More from United States
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No homemade notes or tokens worth under $1 as money
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Every quote on this site was matched against its official page on October 14, 2026. Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.