(FOX 9) – The bald eagle is poised to be officially recognized as the United States’ national bird as a bipartisan bill is on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk.

History of bald eagle as symbol of United States

The backstory: Back in 1782, Congress put the bald eagle on the national seal and since then, it has been used on everything from passports to currency. But it was never officially designated the national bird, a fact many people assumed it already was.

“Assuming something doesn’t necessarily make it so. So, this is just kind of that official overdue recognition that this is our national symbol. Let’s make it our national bird,” said Ed Hahn, the National Eagle Center director of advancement and marketing communications.

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha is home to four bald eagle ambassadors who help teach visitors about the environment and conservation. But soon the formerly endangered species could be soaring to new heights.

“It’s a very cool development and surprising to most people,” said Hahn.

Push to name bald eagle as national bird

What we know: Preston Cook, whose 40,000 piece collection of eagle memorabilia is housed at the eagle center, discovered the oversight while he was writing a book about the birds.

Cook urged Minnesota lawmakers in Washington D.C. to introduce legislation naming the bald eagle the national bird, which passed the U.S. Senate back in July and the U.S. House on Monday. The bill is now headed to President Biden’s desk to make the designation official.

“Here we are a country that doesn’t have a national bird. Now, every state, all 50 states have a state bird, but we don’t have a national bird. So it is time I felt that this should be done,” said Cook.

Dig deeper: The bald eagle bounced back from near extinction in the late 60s and 70s and the eagle center hopes giving the country’s most prominent bird a new title will help the species continue to spread its wings for years to come.

“I think any time that we’re able to elevate something like the bald eagle in high into the public eye, it raises awareness and appreciation for our natural resources, for the environment, for conservation, which are all important,” said Hahn.

The bald eagle will join the rose as the national flower, the oak as the national tree and the bison as the national mammal.

What we don’t know: While the bill has been sent to President Biden’s desk, it’s unknown when he may sign the bill into law. 

Associated Press

New York Knicks (16-10, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (14-11, seventh in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Timberwolves -2; over/under is 213.5

BOTTOM LINE: New York hits the road against Minnesota trying to prolong its three-game road winning streak.

The Timberwolves are 8-4 in home games. Minnesota is eighth in the Western Conference with 33.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Rudy Gobert averaging 7.6.

The Knicks have gone 8-6 away from home. New York ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 27.7 assists per game led by Jalen Brunson averaging 7.7.

The Timberwolves are shooting 45.9% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points lower than the 46.2% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.6 more made shots on average than the 11.6 per game the Timberwolves allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Edwards is averaging 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring 24.8 points per game with 13.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Knicks.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 6-4, averaging 104.6 points, 46.2 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 9.4 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 97.4 points per game.

Knicks: 7-3, averaging 114.6 points, 42.7 rebounds, 28.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.4 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Joe Ingles: day to day (soleus).

Knicks: Ariel Hukporti: day to day (ankle), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.