Eagle with Flag Coloring Page: Free Printable PDF Sheet

The Bald Eagle and the American Flag: History and Symbolism

How the Bald Eagle Became the National Symbol

The selection of the bald eagle for the Great Seal of the United States was not immediate. Congress first appointed a committee on July 4, 1776 — the same day the Declaration of Independence was adopted — to design a national seal, but the committee's proposals were rejected. A second and third committee also failed to produce an acceptable design over the next six years. In June 1782, Charles Thomson, the Secretary of Congress, compiled the best elements from all previous designs and submitted a final proposal. The centered bald eagle became the dominant image, and Congress adopted the seal on June 20, 1782.

The Bald Eagle's Recovery from Near-Extinction

By the mid-20th century, the bald eagle faced extinction in the continental United States. Populations that once numbered in the hundreds of thousands had collapsed to fewer than 500 nesting pairs by the early 1960s, largely because of hunting, habitat destruction, and the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. DDT accumulated in the food chain and caused eagle eggs to develop abnormally thin shells that cracked before hatching. Congress banned DDT in 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 gave bald eagles full federal protection. By 2007 the population had recovered enough that the eagle was removed from the endangered species list. The Lower 48 states now have more than 300,000 bald eagles.

Physical Features of the Bald Eagle

Adult bald eagles have a white head and white tail contrasting with a dark brown body and wings. The bright yellow beak is large and hooked, adapted for tearing fish and other prey. Wingspan ranges from six to seven and a half feet, and body weight is typically seven to fourteen pounds. Females are larger than males, a pattern called reverse sexual dimorphism that is common in raptors. The distinctive white head does not appear until the eagle reaches four or five years of age; juvenile eagles are brown with mottled white markings. The 'bald' in bald eagle comes from the old English word 'balde,' meaning white, not hairless.

The American Flag: Stars, Stripes, and History

The American flag has gone through 27 official versions since the first Flag Resolution was passed by Congress in 1777. That resolution specified thirteen stripes alternating red and white, and thirteen stars on a blue field — one for each of the original colonies. As new states were added, stars were added accordingly. The current fifty-star flag dates to July 4, 1960, following Hawaii's admission as the 50th state. It was designed by a 17-year-old Ohio high school student, Robert G. Heft, as a school project for which he received a B−. When his design was selected from more than 1,500 submissions and adopted, his teacher changed the grade to an A.

Eagles in American Military and Official Imagery

Beyond the Great Seal, the bald eagle appears on the seals of all four major military branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. It appears on the Presidential Seal, which differs from the Great Seal primarily in that the shield on the eagle's breast bears only a single chevron of red and white rather than alternating stripes. The eagle also appears on the official seals of many federal agencies, state governments, and dozens of municipalities. When paired with the American flag — as in this coloring page — the two symbols reinforce each other: the flag as the nation's physical representation and the eagle as its living natural symbol.

Memorial Day and Patriotic Symbol Art

On Memorial Day, eagle and flag imagery appears on banners, program covers, wreaths, parade floats, and community displays across the country. The combination carries a double meaning specific to the holiday: the flag represents the nation that service members served, and the eagle represents the natural strength and freedom they gave their lives to protect. At graveside ceremonies, full-sized American flags are draped over caskets and then folded into the triangular shape before being presented to families. The eagle appears frequently in the official seals and emblems visible at those ceremonies, tying the living symbol to the solemnity of the moment.