Undoubtedly the Mexican national shield, with the golden eagle devouring the snake, is a powerful symbol that represents the greatness of our nation. However, in 1960, the Mexican ornithologist Rafael Martín del Campo (1910-1987) suggested that in reality the bird should be another and gave compelling reasons for it.
The golden eagle as the founding myth of Tenochtitlán
As children we learn the history of the founding of that city; a group of people leave Aztlán behind, guided by the god Huitzilopochtli, looking for the sign of the eagle on a cactus devouring a snake to found the great city there. It would take them centuries to find the design in the Valley of Mexico, where the magnificent Tenochtitlán was founded.
This legend has been transmitted from generation to generation thanks to archaeological remains, codices, manuscripts and paintings; but not all mention the eagle; For example, in the Ramírez Codex it is mentioned that Huitzilopochtli ordered the Aztecs to find a precious bird perched on a cactus.
Some scholars also suggest that the story of the eagle and the serpent could have its origin from an incorrect translation of codices and chronicles.
The bird that might be best suited to represent the myth
Returning to the theory put forward by Martín del Campo, he questioned whether the golden eagle (Aquila chrisaetos) embodied the national bird when in reality it is a rare species in Mexico.
In addition, he studied the archaeological remains and codices with representations of the cuauhtli or sacred eagle and found that the physical features did not correspond to those of the golden eagle.
Consequently, he proposed that the bird known as the caracara or bearded vulture (Caracara cheriwey) would be a better candidate as our national bird.
The caracara is a bird of prey from the hawk family that is very common in our country, with black plumage, small white spots and a black-and-white tail.
Likewise, the caracara is a raptor, a hunter of snakes, birds and other animals and has a strategic flight that allows it to flee from its rivals, which some experts consider to fit perfectly with the description of the bird that the Mexicas saw as a sign of Huitzilopochtli to found his city.
Finally, Martín del Campo’s approach was not taken seriously and the golden eagle continued to be considered the official bird of Mexico and even, in 1973, the Law of Patriotic Symbols was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, in which establishes that the bird on the national coat of arms must correspond to the “Mexican Eagle” and although it does not mention the scientific name of the species, it does detail the distinctive plumage and black beak of the golden eagle.