Description:
In 2026, the U.S. Postal Service honors our national bird, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Intrinsic to the identity of the United States since the early days of the republic, these majestic raptors are realistically shown at different life stages on the 2026 Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult stamps.
On June 20, 1782, an Act of Congress officially adopted the bald eagle as America’s national symbol. Often associated with patriotism, Congress chose the bald eagle, which is native to North America, to embody American ideals like freedom, courage, strength, and power. A bald eagle is the centerpiece of America’s Great Seal, which is used to authenticate formal government documents, emphasizing the eagle’s importance as a symbol of the United States. On the seal, a bald eagle is shown supporting a shield on its breast, with 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 original states. A bald eagle also appears in the logo for the U.S. Postal Service and on currency and military insignia, as well as on countless buildings, flags, and commercial products across the country.
Bald eagles are also important to many Native American cultures. Eagle feathers have been used in cultural and religious ceremonies for thousands of years, and eagles themselves are the focus of many Native legends.
Designed by art director Derry Noyes, the Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult stamps continue a long tradition of featuring these iconic birds of prey on U.S. stamps. Two of the earliest stamps with an illustration of a bald eagle were released in 1869. Since then, bald eagles have appeared multiple times on stamps at many different rates as well as on stamped envelopes and stamped cards with designs as varied as an art deco illustration and a photograph of a carving from a wall plaque. For this stamp project, Noyes chose to go in a different direction, using naturalistic images rather than the stylized art of most past issuances.
The first stamp shows the head of an adult bald eagle in the top left corner and two hatchlings with predominantly white downy coats. The parent is dropping food into the mouth of the hatchling on the right.
The second stamp shows two four-week-old eaglets sitting upright and looking into the distance, their downy coats now a grayish-white.
The third stamp shows a one-year-old juvenile, noticeably more adult-like in appearance, facing right. Much of the down is gone, and almost all the feathers are grayish-brown in color.
In the fourth stamp, the two-year-old bald eagle’s head is turned to the left and is now mostly white. The chest and wing feathers are a mottled grayish-white, and the formerly grayish-black beak has changed to a brighter yellowish-gray color.
The fifth stamp features an illustration of the top half of a bald eagle facing right. It has the characteristic markings of an adult: white head and neck, uniform grayish-brown feathers, and a bright yellow beak.
The selvage features a photograph by Craig Goodwin showing an adult eagle perched behind two hatchlings in a nest. The issuance title, “Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult” is printed in large, white lettering. At the top right or left of each stamp, the words “Bald Eagle” and the corresponding life stage (one week old, four weeks old, one year old, two years old, and adult) are printed vertically in black. “Forever USA” appears at the top or bottom, in small lowercase type, also in black.
The stamp project is illustrator David Allen Sibley’s first for the U.S. Postal Service. “David Allen Sibley was my first and only choice,” says Noyes. “He has written and illustrated numerous field guides over the years, knows birds inside and out, and the illustrations in his most recent book are stunning. He was a perfect fit!”
“While the bald eagle is known to virtually all Americans as our national bird, few people know much about them,” says Sibley. “Showing the series of life stages in these stamps is a simple and visual way to emphasize that the familiar adult eagle has already lived for at least four years — through a series of transitional plumages, finding food, migrating, and surviving all of life's challenges. I hope these stamps spark curiosity and a greater appreciation for the lives of eagles.”