The bald eagle is now officially the U.S. national bird after President Joe Biden signed a law on Christmas Eve granting the honor to the white-headed, yellow-billed raptor.

The bird has been the national emblem of the United States for many years, appearing on the Great Seal of the United States (used on U.S. documents) since 1782.

But it wasn’t officially designated as the national bird until Congress passed the bill last week and sent it to Biden’s desk for his signature.

“For nearly 250 years, we’ve called the bald eagle the national bird, but it’s not,” Jack Davis, co-chair of the National Eagle Center’s National Bird Initiative, said in a statement. “But now the title is official. Sure, no bird deserves more.”

Not everyone agrees on the bald eagle’s national status.

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin objected to the choice of the creature to represent the country, calling it ” “A bird of bad character.”

But not all members of Congress agreed with Franklin.

Bald eagles, like other eagles around the world, have been viewed by many as a symbol of strength, courage, freedom and immortality for generations, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. And, unlike other eagles, bald eagles are only native to North America.

Legislation designating the bald eagle as the state bird was spearheaded by Minnesota legislators. The state has what Sen. Amy Klobuchar said is one of the highest populations of bald eagles in the country.

Bald eagles are also protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940, which makes it illegal to sell or kill the creatures.

The bird was once on the verge of extinction, but its numbers have increased significantly since 2009.

The VULDER Act was one of 50 pieces of legislation Biden signed into law on Christmas Eve, including a federal anti-hazing law aimed at addressing violence and deaths on college campuses.