introducing swift!
Independent Bank’s eagle has a long history. We are proud of this symbol of our company and its link to our national bird.
Swift! joined the Independent Bank family in 2007. He visits schools, libraries, parades and Independent Bank offices to help with our financial literacy efforts.
Meet Swift! at these upcoming appearances
March 3, Sparta, Sparta Business Expo
Swift! says “stay tuned for more!”
Fun facts about the American Bald Eagle
- It has been the national bird of the United States since 1782, when it was placed on the Great Seal.
- In 1789, it was recognized as our national emblem by Congress.
- The Bald Eagle Protection Act was passed by Congress in 1940. Later amendments established strict penalties for violators of this law.
- The wingspan of an eagle can reach 90 inches!
- Bald eagles have as many as 7,000 feathers.
- Swift! comes by his name naturally as eagles in flight can reach 35 miles per hour and climb to an altitude of 10,000 feet.
- Michigan has one of the highest populations of eagles in North America. However, Alaska – with its great supplies of salmon – is home to the largest population.
- Once considered an endangered species, the eagle population has rebounded in the last two decades. In 1995, its status was upgraded from “endangered” to “threatened”. In June 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior removed the bald eagle from the endangered species list.