The bald eagle is unique to North America. Unlike the golden eagle, which also lives in Europe, Asia and North Africa, the bald eagle only occurs from Florida to Alaska. Because of its native status and majestic appearance, the bald eagle was chosen by Congress as our national symbol in 1782. At that time, bald eagles were commonly seen in New England, particularly along the Atlantic coast. People could readily view the eagle hunting for its own food, occasionally feeding on carrion and pirating other eagles' prey. Due to the bald eagle's opportunistic scavenging, Benjamin Franklin was against the bald eagle as our national symbol and wanted the wild turkey instead.