another thread about legal feathers

[DDRRedneck500]

well, not wanting to hijack someone elses thread i thought id post this here. what feathers are legal to collect? so far ive found that songbirds, birds of prey, and birds protected under the migratory bird act are all illegal to own. o and also endagered species. so i know what the birds of prey are, but what birds are considered "songbirds" and what birds are protected under the migratory bird act. and are there any other "groups" of birds that you cant have feathers from? thanks for any info. im basically trying to figure out what kinds of feathers im aloud to gather and own.

[jeffnles1]

I'd say the best bet is to get the feathers from a fly shop or Cabelas or some such place. Unless you really know what you're doing and are familiar with the laws and identifying feathers, you may run into problems. A hawk feather can look an awful lot like a turkey feather.

Jeff

[Normand]

well, not wanting to hijack someone elses thread i thought id post this here. what feathers are legal to collect? so far ive found that songbirds, birds of prey, and birds protected under the migratory bird act are all illegal to own. o and also endagered species. so i know what the birds of prey are, but what birds are considered "songbirds" and what birds are protected under the migratory bird act. and are there any other "groups" of birds that you cant have feathers from? thanks for any info. im basically trying to figure out what kinds of feathers im aloud to gather and own.

try searching and reading the following website and i'm sure theres probably more info if you do additional searches http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/birds/feathers.htm

[DG]

Jeff is right. Single feathers can be difficult to identify.

The short list in the US:

domestic birds (chickens, turkeys, peafowl, guineas, etc.)

Anything you can hunt legally (upland birds, turkeys, waterfowl, snipe, crows in some areas). Check your hunting regulations. If YOU cannot legally hunt it, best bet is to have papers from the person who DID hunt it transfering ownership to you. Especially if it is protected in your state.

English sparrow
European starling
rock dove (domestic pigeon)

Pretty short list, huh?

If you find a feather and don't know what it is, take it to biologist and ask them. The USFWS is not really worried about people picking up random feathers, but I went to a training last fall where one of the scenarios we did was seeing an eagle feather dangling from a rearview mirror, asking about it, confiscating it...

But it IS still illegal to have most species' parts, including feathers, and going "oooh this is pretty", picking them up and using them, and then looking for more, and then wondering how you can get more in other ways... well, that is what lead to the slaughter of birds for feathers for decoration and eventually the MBTA.

And be VERY careful about posting pics and recipes of flies made with randomly found feathers. "Hey look I am violating federal laws!" is not a good way to advertise skills. FWS DOES surf the net looking for violators.

[joerogrz]

House Sparrows are also an introduced species like the European Starling. I guess it is called an English Sparrow also. Both are considered Nuisance Species and it is legal to kill them. They are part of the reason for the decline in Purple Martins and Eastern Bluebirds.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhou...ces/non_native

They would probably make for some nice flies...

[hap]

DG
Among some unusual birds legally hunted in AK which will surprise you... Sandhill cranes, no surprise I am sure... Cormorants, but the bird must be used for food! Can you say Yuck?!? Snowy owls, again they must be eaten, but they are good! A number of other birds in the line of alcids and such are legally killed and eaten by Native Alaskans, but possession cannot go beyond them.
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[tigfly]

I may be wrong, but I believe that it is ok to give away game bird feathers but illegal for an individual to sell them. I think the same applies to the meat.

[Bamboozle]

Since I am usually suspect about most things Internet; I went to the source and e-mailed the USFWS a while ago looking for clarification on the law in regards to migratory birds.

If they ever respond I'll post it here.

[DG]

Bamboozle, you are probably right in thinking of us as suspicious characters.

Hap, remind me never to ask what the meat dish REALLY is. I would pass on a cormorant. Or an owl. Or...

You can shoot sandhills in some states down here, too.

[hap]

tigfly
I am currently doing a little research on the question of selling game bird feathers for tying purposes. There is a clear ruling that migratory waterfowl feathers and skins are okay to sell for tying. So far I have not found any states with laws against selling game bird skins.

No states allow the sale of game bird meat that I know of.

I have gotten a reply from USFWS on the migratory bird questions. They say it is perfectly legal to sell them. I called the local office and had no problems getting help.
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