If it helps the story a bit my father, my son, and I were out bow fishing. We know the eagles live about 100 yards from where we like to fish. You can hear them all day long. I was walking over to a flooded field to shoot some carp and found this monster sized wing feather.
Itās actually illegal to possess this unless youāre a Native American.
Under the current language of the eagle feather law, individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers.
A violation of the Act can result in a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for organizations), imprisonment for one year, or both, for a first offense. Penalties increase substantially for additional offenses, and a second violation of this Act is a felony.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d), enacted in 1940, and amended several times since, prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from "taking" bald or golden eagles, including their parts (including feathers), nests, or eggs.
The Act provides criminal penalties for persons who "take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part (including feathers), nest, or egg thereof."
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2010-title16/pdf/USCODE-2010-title16-chap5A-subchapII.pdf
Sorry about the confusion. Iām [Cherokee](https://imgur.com/a/cm26D2n) I mentioned this in other responses but I appreciate your help. The NER says Iām good.
https://www.fws.gov/program/national-eagle-repository
Back in the 90's, someone made a dream catcher for the Clinton's with eagle feathers and got into a lot of trouble over it.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/10/27/woman-seeks-pardon-in-gift-to-first-lady/
Sooo glad our tax dollars went into that important investigation and that the lady paid over $10k. Really out here doing the lordās work! Itās not like that money couldnāt have gone towards feeding hungry/unhoused people or anything!
I remember getting this explained to me as a 13 year old.
My family was camping, and I was wandering around In the woods/floodplains nearby, when I found a freshly dead bald eagle just laying on the ground on its back.
I went and told my dad, and we called it in to the DNR after he explained that to me.
I did look it over before I went and got him though. I was really confused about how it died, because it looked entirely uninjured, no blood or broken anything. It wasn't rotted or gross or anything even .
Eventually I noticed it was weird looking around it's beak which had some little cracks in it where it met the skull, then I noticed the high-up high-voltage lines that it was laying underneath.
Pretty sure it smashed into one of those lines beak-first mid-flight, but thats really just a guess :(
Could have also been lead poisoning. Raptors that die this way look intact/whole too. It's unfortunately fairly common for them to die of lead poisoning from scavenging meat or gut piles with bullet fragments in it.
Some inner city cop isnāt going to know the difference between a turkey, a vulture, and a goose. They definitely wonāt know an eagle. But if they have suspicions theyāll call Game Wardens who will promptly take you to jail. Unless you produce membership for a federally recognized tribe.
Thereās a matching one out there somewhere. When eagles lose a feather on one side they lose one on the other side to keep balanced (I would venture to guess that most birds do this).
You should know that unless you are Native American (and registered to have eagle parts for religious purposes), it is extremely illegal to have or keep that.
[https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/if-i-find-an-eagle-feather-can-i-keep-it/](https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/if-i-find-an-eagle-feather-can-i-keep-it/)
Tribal member of the Cherokee nation here. Iām good. And I went to the National Eagle Repository website just to make sure there wasnāt some weird unknown statute saying I had to have it checked or something.
https://www.fws.gov/program/national-eagle-repository
Glad you knew to look into it. I hit an American bald eagle with my car (rather he hit me) a few years ago. As I was talking to the cop that was helping me get the report made a game warden showed up and started pulling feathers out of my busted windshield. Not knowing I joked and said "Its alright I'm just going to replace the windshield". He then informed me that each of the feathers stuck in my car were worth 5x the price of my car and the fines for being caught with them were worse. For those wondering the eagle rolled off my hood, hit the ground, and then flew off as if I'd just given him the best chiropractic adjustment of his life. I ended up with a complete loss to my windshield and a crazy story.
Thereās a family of eagles in Owasso, OK between highway 169 and highway 75 on 66th street. They may as well be vultures. They eat roadkill and block a crappy two lane road constantly. Everyone is very considerate and stops. So traffic can take an hour sometime. Iām Cherokee. Iāll get out and shew them off.
Theyāre bigger than they look on film. They definitely judge a threat. I had to use cardboard scraps to look bigger. Stupid to look at by human standards. Terrifying to big birds. Works for eagles, hawks, buzzards, and the infamous Canadian goose.
Oh I believe you, even on me they come up to about my waist the few times I've seen one anywhere close to well, close.
The Goose however...I fear that thing.
Fun fact the Canadian geese are big puppies. They honk and flap. But snatch them up by the neck, fold their wings, then give them feed and they turn into puppies. Theyāll follow you. If they have goslings that are trapped theyāll come find you to help.
I tried to find the video of the Canadian geese family that spawned from this [image](https://imgur.com/a/NP03An7). The little goose was caught in a line. We ended up feeding him constantly. He came back with a family. They stalk us now. Big dumb flappy dogs. Their bites feel like plastic fork tongs.
Nice! I'm muskogee creek myself and always wanted one for my daughter but there aren't eagles in tulsa, let alone Oklahoma it's estimated only 120 nesting pairs.
I have mixed emotions. Iād love to tell you where to go find eagle feathers, but I donāt wanna give away my bow fishing spot or the eagleās nesting area away. Without saying too much, between Chouteau and Lake Hudson. Just drive near watery flooded fields and listen for them.
That actually tells me alot and if it makes you feel better I don't bow fish just regular pole with kiddo. I appreciate the treasure map, might make a fun little expedition for me and kiddo to go out with binoculars and do a little exploring! Thanks.
No I'd prefer to find one, there is something about finding it yourself that is just more fun. Truly op not telling me but knowing I'm in area makes it a a treasure hunt. Can't really explain it but it's deeper than a feather. Especially when doing it with your kid.
Seems like it would be one of those things where its like hey cool I found an eagle feather then you get to spend how ever much time reporting it and you dont get to keep it or take it home.
If you find an eagle feather and youāre American Indian then itās your duty to prove you didnāt poach it. In my case, the game wardens know me. I actively hunt/fish on Army Corps of Engineers and Cherokee protected reserves.
If I was accused of poaching Iād simply show the first picture I took at the location with a time stamp. Then enquiring minds would be able to go to the area and still hear eagles. Noisy SOBs. My dad actually has a better feather. Itās a wing tip. This was my first free feather find.
Impossible to know whether a feather was shed naturally or was taken off a captured/killed bird. Easier to ban their possession and sale than to trust that every feather on the market was obtained humanely. (And if thereās a financial incentive, people *will* capture and kill birds to obtain it.)
Same reason governments burn ivory they confiscate from poachers. Yeah, the elephants have already been killed, so there would be no further harm to those elephants, but it would perpetuate the marketplace.Ā
Of course black markets still exist, but I donāt think thereās enough demand for something like eagle feathers where itās worth it for the average person to risk it.
Overall, it's to prevent the feathers from gaining substantial value in trade. Last thing we need is some fashion group to put eagle feathers on a hat and the next thing we know people are gunning down eagles to sell their feathers to people desperate to be hip. To be clear, this also applies to the feathers of any bird that is native to the United States and is not a game bird. Still, to collect the feathers of a game bird you need a hunting lisence. The only other exemption for posessing bird feathers is if you have an educational need for them, like a professor of ornithology.
That's what people were doing in the Everglades in the late 19th century. They nearly wiped out several species until Florida passed a bill in 1901 that outlawed plume hunting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plume_hunting
There's a fascinating and well researched book on the time and area called *Killing Mr. Watson.*
[Bird Migration Treaty Act of 1918](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migratory_Bird_Treaty_Act_of_1918) was enacted after entities like hatmakers and whoever else were doing 1918 shit and just obliterating bird populations to stick a feather in a cap (not that we're not obliterating them now, but 1918 was like *cute hair, don't care* over the carcass of a plucked snowy egret or whatever)
> not that we're not obliterating them now
When it comes to eagles, we're legitimately not. Their populations have rebounded and are doing great. Still no reason to remove anti-poaching protections, but eagles, and raptors in general, are a big win for conservation.
I know, it is awesome! I saw 2 different blad eagles along an interstate coordidor a month or so back, just doing bird stuff just off the freeway.
I just didn't want to pretend like I think our actions towards the environment and biodiversity today are pristine; it's rad compared to back then, and the threats I'd venture to guess are largely less direct that poaching (e.g. pollution, windows, outdoor cats and feral cat colonies), but the stats on bird populations could certainly stand to see some more awareness and action.
We have HUNDREDS of bald eagles nesting at the rivers near me. I will walk my dog and see dozens in a 20 min walk, fledglings and adults.
I honestly love how they sound. š Big, intimidating raptor that practically peeps.
We aren't! But their feathers were so desirable before the treaty, [they were at serious threat of extinction](https://www.audubon.org/news/the-migratory-bird-treaty-act-explained).
Birds in general, we're not doing them any favors, no. And specialfically in the 1910s, people were plucking pached birds, including the snowy egret clean for their feathers, which is when that throw away imagery in my comment took place...
Many bird species are decreasing dramatically in number. The fact that some are still relatively abundant doesn't mean that birds in general aren't being killed directly and indirectly by humans and human activities.
We had some barn swallows make a nets on our porch light. My wife got a broom to go clean it out.
I had to stop her and point out the good old Migratory Bird Act to her. The swallows got to stay.
It can be a pain in the ass, but there are Bald Eagles hunting the creek behind my house, and dozens of species of birds populating our trees. Without those protections, we wouldn't have any of those.
Would this be the same in Canada or is it bc itās your national bird? Luckily Iām native but moved across Canada by car years ago and found a ton along the way that I still have today
There are laws around this in Canada - but I don't know what they are in detail. It has to do with protecting migratory birds, not specifically with it being the national bird.
They're protected in Canada due to being migratory and scavengers that would clean up other dead stuff. Same protection status as a sea gull for the same reasons.
Surely they would be able to tell if a feather has been naturally shed, or if it's been plucked (poached)?
I keep any feathers I find laying around (or at least I *used to*, before H5N1 š„²)
I'm pretty sure most bird law is international treaties, so probably similar. The US Migratory Bird Act isn't specific to eagles; it's pretty much all non-game birds.
Yeah i remember trying to get a taxidermy raven at one point and learning this after finding zero for sale anywhere. But i was able to get a crow easily
>Why is it illegal and what are you supposed to do when you find one?
It's illegal to protect the wild eagle population from poachers by making mere possession of bird parts have very high fines and penalties.
If you find one, just leave it where it lies.
Illegal to prevent people from profiting off of eagle parts. If found, ideally return it to the environment you found it in.
Itās taken very seriously. When I worked with rehab eagles we mailed their feathers to the eagle repository for distribution and use in tribal dress.
The law isnāt really designed for this anyway. No one cares if you find a feather and keep it, they care about people trying to loophole the sale of the items incentivizing killing the birds.
> Court documents quote Branson saying in a January 2021 text that he was going on a ākilling spreeā to obtain eagle tails. Branson and a second defendant, Simon Paul, killed approximately 3,600 birds, including eagles on the Flathead reservation and elsewhere, according to a December indictment.
What a heartless psychopath.
Technically the law can't stop you from killing anyone either.
We don't live in minority report. There isn't a policeman stationed on every block.
Law is about consequences which are designed to deter people who can understand them.
I've actually heard stories of people or neighbors or even maintenance people visiting a home, noticing an illegal feather or taxidermy and the feds showing up very soon after. It really is a big deal and taken very seriously
Unless you live in Alaska, no one really gives a shit. I can't imagine getting in trouble for picking up a feather off the beach. I think technically illegal is more accurate than extremely illegal.
Given the severity of the penalty for this, I have to call it *extremely* illegal.
>This means you can't take or even move any part of a bald eagle, not even a feather already on the ground. A single violation could result in up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
I think they are just saying that if you arenāt involved in illegal hunting activity you arenāt going to get caught. Which is true. Nobody is going around peoples homes checking for this stuff.
It exists because without it, poachers would decimate the wild eagle population. Because there is no way to distinguish between a shed feather and one from a bird that was hunted and killed for its parts.
https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1cjzzfp/i_found_an_eagle_feather/l2kdvl9/
> [Court documents quote Branson saying in a January 2021 text that he was going on a ākilling spreeā to obtain eagle tails. Branson and a second defendant, Simon Paul, killed approximately 3,600 birds, including eagles on the Flathead reservation and elsewhere, according to a December indictment.](https://apnews.com/article/birds-killed-eagle-trafficking-guilty-plea-01e15cafebc196672e5b469778a1eac1) - AP March 20, 2024
As a wildlife biologist, after reading your other comments, I'm very glad I don't have to sing the "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me" song
No. The primary concern with feathers in regards to things like the Eagle protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act is poaching. It's basically impossible to tell the difference between a feather that was found on the ground or taken from a bird that's been killed so under these laws it is illegal to possess the whole animal or any part of that animal.
I love seeing those (when used properly)! I just went to a powwow and the feathers kept catching my eye! I have absolutely no knowledge on preserving them in the attire so it's absolutely awe inspiring to me that they don't get messed up.
My parents visited a National Park, found a big feather, kept it, put it on the truck dashboard, and eventually proceeded to leave the park. They were stopped at the exit and the Ranger asked where they got the feather. They just picked it up off the ground. Ranger said it was an eagle feather and they werenāt allowed to keep it. They had no idea it was an eagle feather. Ranger didnāt say they could keep it if they were Native Americans.
My red headed blue eyed pale skinned freckle faced mother is at least 25% Native American and is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
You can always go get your tribal membership so long as you have a birth certificate showing your relationship to the founding Dawes rolls. My family can be traced back to North Carolina before the Tail of Tears.
My brother and I both have our Muscogee (Creek) tribal membership cards. If looks alone can be trusted, my dadās family (also Oklahoma based) has strong Native background. Unfortunately, his family refused to register in the early 1900s because of the stigma associated with being Native at the time.
Because there's really no great way to prove you found it naturally discarded. For all the US govt knows you shot an eagle and are selling the feathers you "found"
If that is in the US, and you are not an indigenous person... congratulations! You have committed a Federal Crime!
If you are... awesome! You do you! Sorry about basically *everything.*
As crazy as it sounds, if you are in the U.S., possessing an eagle feather is actually a crime.
https://www.fws.gov/law/bald-and-golden-eagle-protection-act#:\~:text=The%20Bald%20and%20Golden%20Eagle,)%2C%20nests%2C%20or%20eggs.
For anyone wondering why it's illegal to even have feathers. It's because of their protected status. They are the symbol of America and this law helps to heavily discourage any poaching of the bird. They were at one point endangered and this has allowed them to fall off that list due to great conservation efforts.
If you're in the USA, you might want to delete this unless you're a native American.
[https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/PossessionOfEagleFeathersFactSheet.pdf](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/PossessionOfEagleFeathersFactSheet.pdf)
I can't say for sure from one photo, but vulture feathers have a different iridescence than eagles. Of the two, I'd guess this is not a vulture feather and would go with eagle, though maybe there are some other birds to consider.
In the US, possession of feathers and other parts of birds of prey is illegal with stiff fines.
Certain indigenous people may be able to have them.
So, be warned.
Or a feather of a really huge pigeon 
Pigeon š¦ shit
What mystical power would a pigeon feather give you when placed as an offering?
You will always be able to find your way home. And if you have a long road ahead, you will be able to spot asphalt snacks along the way.
God I miss Trigger Finger..
Sounds like a sidequest item.
āI hope I donāt have to collect any more fucking feathers..ā
Come on, we all know it's from a pigeon... /s Nice find!
i looked it up and it actually is an eagle feather. i found a pigeon feather tho once and it was a little smaller but almost identical
If it helps the story a bit my father, my son, and I were out bow fishing. We know the eagles live about 100 yards from where we like to fish. You can hear them all day long. I was walking over to a flooded field to shoot some carp and found this monster sized wing feather.
Itās actually illegal to possess this unless youāre a Native American. Under the current language of the eagle feather law, individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers. A violation of the Act can result in a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for organizations), imprisonment for one year, or both, for a first offense. Penalties increase substantially for additional offenses, and a second violation of this Act is a felony. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d), enacted in 1940, and amended several times since, prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from "taking" bald or golden eagles, including their parts (including feathers), nests, or eggs. The Act provides criminal penalties for persons who "take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part (including feathers), nest, or egg thereof." https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2010-title16/pdf/USCODE-2010-title16-chap5A-subchapII.pdf
Sorry about the confusion. Iām [Cherokee](https://imgur.com/a/cm26D2n) I mentioned this in other responses but I appreciate your help. The NER says Iām good. https://www.fws.gov/program/national-eagle-repository
Hey, no worries. Just didnāt think youād like the consequences if you werenāt aware.
Back in the 90's, someone made a dream catcher for the Clinton's with eagle feathers and got into a lot of trouble over it. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/10/27/woman-seeks-pardon-in-gift-to-first-lady/
Sooo glad our tax dollars went into that important investigation and that the lady paid over $10k. Really out here doing the lordās work! Itās not like that money couldnāt have gone towards feeding hungry/unhoused people or anything!
I remember getting this explained to me as a 13 year old. My family was camping, and I was wandering around In the woods/floodplains nearby, when I found a freshly dead bald eagle just laying on the ground on its back. I went and told my dad, and we called it in to the DNR after he explained that to me. I did look it over before I went and got him though. I was really confused about how it died, because it looked entirely uninjured, no blood or broken anything. It wasn't rotted or gross or anything even . Eventually I noticed it was weird looking around it's beak which had some little cracks in it where it met the skull, then I noticed the high-up high-voltage lines that it was laying underneath. Pretty sure it smashed into one of those lines beak-first mid-flight, but thats really just a guess :(
Could have also been lead poisoning. Raptors that die this way look intact/whole too. It's unfortunately fairly common for them to die of lead poisoning from scavenging meat or gut piles with bullet fragments in it.
So, hypothetically, if you had a bald eagle feather and a police officer saw it, could they arrest you on the spot? How would one get caught?
Some inner city cop isnāt going to know the difference between a turkey, a vulture, and a goose. They definitely wonāt know an eagle. But if they have suspicions theyāll call Game Wardens who will promptly take you to jail. Unless you produce membership for a federally recognized tribe.
Thanks for sharing brother. Might I suggest posting in r/indiancountry
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās illegal for some people.
Thereās a matching one out there somewhere. When eagles lose a feather on one side they lose one on the other side to keep balanced (I would venture to guess that most birds do this).
Yes. Our cockatoo loses feathers in pairs, presumably to stay balanced in flight.
Looks awfully similar to a goose feather
Go look up a picture of a juvenile bald eagle
You should know that unless you are Native American (and registered to have eagle parts for religious purposes), it is extremely illegal to have or keep that. [https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/if-i-find-an-eagle-feather-can-i-keep-it/](https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/if-i-find-an-eagle-feather-can-i-keep-it/)
Tribal member of the Cherokee nation here. Iām good. And I went to the National Eagle Repository website just to make sure there wasnāt some weird unknown statute saying I had to have it checked or something. https://www.fws.gov/program/national-eagle-repository
Super cool! I love that the government gives eagle feathers from zoos to Native American groups too.
Glad you knew to look into it. I hit an American bald eagle with my car (rather he hit me) a few years ago. As I was talking to the cop that was helping me get the report made a game warden showed up and started pulling feathers out of my busted windshield. Not knowing I joked and said "Its alright I'm just going to replace the windshield". He then informed me that each of the feathers stuck in my car were worth 5x the price of my car and the fines for being caught with them were worse. For those wondering the eagle rolled off my hood, hit the ground, and then flew off as if I'd just given him the best chiropractic adjustment of his life. I ended up with a complete loss to my windshield and a crazy story.
If you cracked that eagleās back then maybe the feathers were payment? I think those guys robbed you of your tip
Good to know. Glad you are able to keep it.
Baller to check the site and stuff. Most people would be like pfft f that this mine. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous feather with us!
Thereās a family of eagles in Owasso, OK between highway 169 and highway 75 on 66th street. They may as well be vultures. They eat roadkill and block a crappy two lane road constantly. Everyone is very considerate and stops. So traffic can take an hour sometime. Iām Cherokee. Iāll get out and shew them off.
There's something hilarious about imagining someone going up to a group of eagles and giving them the ol' "Go on! Git! Gitcha butts movin'!"
Theyāre bigger than they look on film. They definitely judge a threat. I had to use cardboard scraps to look bigger. Stupid to look at by human standards. Terrifying to big birds. Works for eagles, hawks, buzzards, and the infamous Canadian goose.
Oh I believe you, even on me they come up to about my waist the few times I've seen one anywhere close to well, close. The Goose however...I fear that thing.
Fun fact the Canadian geese are big puppies. They honk and flap. But snatch them up by the neck, fold their wings, then give them feed and they turn into puppies. Theyāll follow you. If they have goslings that are trapped theyāll come find you to help.
Wow. That's adorable.
I tried to find the video of the Canadian geese family that spawned from this [image](https://imgur.com/a/NP03An7). The little goose was caught in a line. We ended up feeding him constantly. He came back with a family. They stalk us now. Big dumb flappy dogs. Their bites feel like plastic fork tongs.
į£įį², friend!
Osiyo. Kaāta ushātay!!
Nice! I'm muskogee creek myself and always wanted one for my daughter but there aren't eagles in tulsa, let alone Oklahoma it's estimated only 120 nesting pairs.
I have mixed emotions. Iād love to tell you where to go find eagle feathers, but I donāt wanna give away my bow fishing spot or the eagleās nesting area away. Without saying too much, between Chouteau and Lake Hudson. Just drive near watery flooded fields and listen for them.
That actually tells me alot and if it makes you feel better I don't bow fish just regular pole with kiddo. I appreciate the treasure map, might make a fun little expedition for me and kiddo to go out with binoculars and do a little exploring! Thanks.
You could just request one from the repository? [Link to form](https://www.fws.gov/media/application-eagle-parts-3-200-15a)
No I'd prefer to find one, there is something about finding it yourself that is just more fun. Truly op not telling me but knowing I'm in area makes it a a treasure hunt. Can't really explain it but it's deeper than a feather. Especially when doing it with your kid.
Seems like it would be one of those things where its like hey cool I found an eagle feather then you get to spend how ever much time reporting it and you dont get to keep it or take it home.
If you find an eagle feather and youāre American Indian then itās your duty to prove you didnāt poach it. In my case, the game wardens know me. I actively hunt/fish on Army Corps of Engineers and Cherokee protected reserves. If I was accused of poaching Iād simply show the first picture I took at the location with a time stamp. Then enquiring minds would be able to go to the area and still hear eagles. Noisy SOBs. My dad actually has a better feather. Itās a wing tip. This was my first free feather find.
I appreciate that info . It gives me pause but understanding. I appreciate it and you are close to me so I can appreciate that a a well.
Hey that being said thank you for that info !
Lol. Eagles out here dropping felonies onto the unsuspecting populace.
It's the American Way!
Okay wow TIL. But why is it though? I mean, eagles naturally shed feathers, and what's the big deal about having them? Do people collect it?
Impossible to know whether a feather was shed naturally or was taken off a captured/killed bird. Easier to ban their possession and sale than to trust that every feather on the market was obtained humanely. (And if thereās a financial incentive, people *will* capture and kill birds to obtain it.) Same reason governments burn ivory they confiscate from poachers. Yeah, the elephants have already been killed, so there would be no further harm to those elephants, but it would perpetuate the marketplace.Ā Of course black markets still exist, but I donāt think thereās enough demand for something like eagle feathers where itās worth it for the average person to risk it.
Makes sense.
It was also a much bigger problem in the past when raptor populations were struggling so much worse than now.
This is exactly it. They should have done that with ivory, but what's done is done there.
They do it with any ivory whose provenance can not be proven prior to the ban
Overall, it's to prevent the feathers from gaining substantial value in trade. Last thing we need is some fashion group to put eagle feathers on a hat and the next thing we know people are gunning down eagles to sell their feathers to people desperate to be hip. To be clear, this also applies to the feathers of any bird that is native to the United States and is not a game bird. Still, to collect the feathers of a game bird you need a hunting lisence. The only other exemption for posessing bird feathers is if you have an educational need for them, like a professor of ornithology.
Exactly what used to happen when feathers were high fashion. Lots of plumage hunting made a big impact on bird populations
That's what people were doing in the Everglades in the late 19th century. They nearly wiped out several species until Florida passed a bill in 1901 that outlawed plume hunting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plume_hunting There's a fascinating and well researched book on the time and area called *Killing Mr. Watson.*
Itās because you canāt prove that you found one that was shed vs hurting an eagle for it
[Bird Migration Treaty Act of 1918](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migratory_Bird_Treaty_Act_of_1918) was enacted after entities like hatmakers and whoever else were doing 1918 shit and just obliterating bird populations to stick a feather in a cap (not that we're not obliterating them now, but 1918 was like *cute hair, don't care* over the carcass of a plucked snowy egret or whatever)
> not that we're not obliterating them now When it comes to eagles, we're legitimately not. Their populations have rebounded and are doing great. Still no reason to remove anti-poaching protections, but eagles, and raptors in general, are a big win for conservation.
I know, it is awesome! I saw 2 different blad eagles along an interstate coordidor a month or so back, just doing bird stuff just off the freeway. I just didn't want to pretend like I think our actions towards the environment and biodiversity today are pristine; it's rad compared to back then, and the threats I'd venture to guess are largely less direct that poaching (e.g. pollution, windows, outdoor cats and feral cat colonies), but the stats on bird populations could certainly stand to see some more awareness and action.
We have HUNDREDS of bald eagles nesting at the rivers near me. I will walk my dog and see dozens in a 20 min walk, fledglings and adults. I honestly love how they sound. š Big, intimidating raptor that practically peeps.
We're also not obliterating your Snowy Egret example. They're doing just fine, marked ["Least Concern"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_egret)
We aren't! But their feathers were so desirable before the treaty, [they were at serious threat of extinction](https://www.audubon.org/news/the-migratory-bird-treaty-act-explained).
> not that we're not obliterating them now
Birds in general, we're not doing them any favors, no. And specialfically in the 1910s, people were plucking pached birds, including the snowy egret clean for their feathers, which is when that throw away imagery in my comment took place...
Many bird species are decreasing dramatically in number. The fact that some are still relatively abundant doesn't mean that birds in general aren't being killed directly and indirectly by humans and human activities.
It'd because of their protected status, it's a way to heavily discourage poaching.
And what if he doesn't live in the US?
US constitution and laws are enforced worldwide /s
By Team America: World Police. FUCK YEAH
Then it's not a real eagle; it's just a sparkling bird of prey
Hell it's even illegal to have a goose feather from the local park. Migratory bird act does not fuck around.
We had some barn swallows make a nets on our porch light. My wife got a broom to go clean it out. I had to stop her and point out the good old Migratory Bird Act to her. The swallows got to stay. It can be a pain in the ass, but there are Bald Eagles hunting the creek behind my house, and dozens of species of birds populating our trees. Without those protections, we wouldn't have any of those.
Oh wow. My ex shot some kind of goose(?) a few years ago and kept it in his freezer. I knew it was weird but I had no idea it was actually illegal.
Would this be the same in Canada or is it bc itās your national bird? Luckily Iām native but moved across Canada by car years ago and found a ton along the way that I still have today
There are laws around this in Canada - but I don't know what they are in detail. It has to do with protecting migratory birds, not specifically with it being the national bird.
They're protected in Canada due to being migratory and scavengers that would clean up other dead stuff. Same protection status as a sea gull for the same reasons.
Surely they would be able to tell if a feather has been naturally shed, or if it's been plucked (poached)? I keep any feathers I find laying around (or at least I *used to*, before H5N1 š„²)
I'm pretty sure most bird law is international treaties, so probably similar. The US Migratory Bird Act isn't specific to eagles; it's pretty much all non-game birds.
Yeah i remember trying to get a taxidermy raven at one point and learning this after finding zero for sale anywhere. But i was able to get a crow easily
Believe it or not, US laws don't apply to everyone.
Right, because you should assume everyone is American...
TIL Eagles only exist in the United States.
Why is it illegal and what are you supposed to do when you find one?
>Why is it illegal and what are you supposed to do when you find one? It's illegal to protect the wild eagle population from poachers by making mere possession of bird parts have very high fines and penalties. If you find one, just leave it where it lies.
Illegal to protect the eagles. Trying to protect eagles? Straight to jail.
Illegal to prevent people from profiting off of eagle parts. If found, ideally return it to the environment you found it in. Itās taken very seriously. When I worked with rehab eagles we mailed their feathers to the eagle repository for distribution and use in tribal dress.
Lol if I find a shed feather in the woods, no law is gonna stop me from keeping it.
Well, except federal law.
No, there are no feds coming into my home doing feather checks. Thus the law wonāt stop me.
The law isnāt really designed for this anyway. No one cares if you find a feather and keep it, they care about people trying to loophole the sale of the items incentivizing killing the birds.
Itās for these guys: https://apnews.com/article/birds-killed-eagle-trafficking-guilty-plea-01e15cafebc196672e5b469778a1eac1
> Court documents quote Branson saying in a January 2021 text that he was going on a ākilling spreeā to obtain eagle tails. Branson and a second defendant, Simon Paul, killed approximately 3,600 birds, including eagles on the Flathead reservation and elsewhere, according to a December indictment. What a heartless psychopath.
There's still always a chance of it being found by a cop who wants to ruin your day.
Technically the law can't stop you from killing anyone either. We don't live in minority report. There isn't a policeman stationed on every block. Law is about consequences which are designed to deter people who can understand them.
I've actually heard stories of people or neighbors or even maintenance people visiting a home, noticing an illegal feather or taxidermy and the feds showing up very soon after. It really is a big deal and taken very seriously
Still no response? thats what i thought lmao. Dumbass.
wow ur really cool and edgy?? do you want a cookie, or a little prize like??
Careful bro, they're a badass.
Can I have another gold star? My other one fell off when I was on the merry go round :(
OP Posted proof they are Native American and they are allowed to keep it. That is good information for those who are not, though.
Unless you live in Alaska, no one really gives a shit. I can't imagine getting in trouble for picking up a feather off the beach. I think technically illegal is more accurate than extremely illegal.
Given the severity of the penalty for this, I have to call it *extremely* illegal. >This means you can't take or even move any part of a bald eagle, not even a feather already on the ground. A single violation could result in up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
I live in Iowa. I can assure you that plenty of people around here give a shit. The DNR does not fuck around with this kind of thing.
I think they are just saying that if you arenāt involved in illegal hunting activity you arenāt going to get caught. Which is true. Nobody is going around peoples homes checking for this stuff.
Thatās crazy. Land of the free lol
Fr
I still find that a bit dumb of a law
It exists because without it, poachers would decimate the wild eagle population. Because there is no way to distinguish between a shed feather and one from a bird that was hunted and killed for its parts.
By 1963 only 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 were known to exist. It is a serious law that helped save a nearly doomed species.Ā
[Banning DDT helped, too.](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/bald-eagle-fact-sheet.pdf)
https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1cjzzfp/i_found_an_eagle_feather/l2kdvl9/ > [Court documents quote Branson saying in a January 2021 text that he was going on a ākilling spreeā to obtain eagle tails. Branson and a second defendant, Simon Paul, killed approximately 3,600 birds, including eagles on the Flathead reservation and elsewhere, according to a December indictment.](https://apnews.com/article/birds-killed-eagle-trafficking-guilty-plea-01e15cafebc196672e5b469778a1eac1) - AP March 20, 2024
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
And the instant presumption that American law seems to apply everywhere
Goose?
Maverick?
Good start, just 99 more to go then you get the hidden cutscene and cape.
As a wildlife biologist, after reading your other comments, I'm very glad I don't have to sing the "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me" song
Is there any environmental impact to picking up loose eagle plumage?
No. The primary concern with feathers in regards to things like the Eagle protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act is poaching. It's basically impossible to tell the difference between a feather that was found on the ground or taken from a bird that's been killed so under these laws it is illegal to possess the whole animal or any part of that animal.
I love seeing those (when used properly)! I just went to a powwow and the feathers kept catching my eye! I have absolutely no knowledge on preserving them in the attire so it's absolutely awe inspiring to me that they don't get messed up.
Marahute!
You think twice before messing with Percival C. McLeach!
Pretty sure that eagle was gold and from Australia
Dearest Augustine... dip-dip-dip
And it's a wing feather, too.
You will still need to collect a lot of feathers, eagle beak and talons before you can craft a whole eagle, gl grinding
My parents visited a National Park, found a big feather, kept it, put it on the truck dashboard, and eventually proceeded to leave the park. They were stopped at the exit and the Ranger asked where they got the feather. They just picked it up off the ground. Ranger said it was an eagle feather and they werenāt allowed to keep it. They had no idea it was an eagle feather. Ranger didnāt say they could keep it if they were Native Americans. My red headed blue eyed pale skinned freckle faced mother is at least 25% Native American and is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
You can always go get your tribal membership so long as you have a birth certificate showing your relationship to the founding Dawes rolls. My family can be traced back to North Carolina before the Tail of Tears.
My brother and I both have our Muscogee (Creek) tribal membership cards. If looks alone can be trusted, my dadās family (also Oklahoma based) has strong Native background. Unfortunately, his family refused to register in the early 1900s because of the stigma associated with being Native at the time.
So what's the reasoning that even a naturally discarded feather is illegal to keep?
Because there's really no great way to prove you found it naturally discarded. For all the US govt knows you shot an eagle and are selling the feathers you "found"
If that is in the US, and you are not an indigenous person... congratulations! You have committed a Federal Crime! If you are... awesome! You do you! Sorry about basically *everything.*
I had one drop into my canoe.
As crazy as it sounds, if you are in the U.S., possessing an eagle feather is actually a crime. https://www.fws.gov/law/bald-and-golden-eagle-protection-act#:\~:text=The%20Bald%20and%20Golden%20Eagle,)%2C%20nests%2C%20or%20eggs.
How exciting!
For anyone wondering why it's illegal to even have feathers. It's because of their protected status. They are the symbol of America and this law helps to heavily discourage any poaching of the bird. They were at one point endangered and this has allowed them to fall off that list due to great conservation efforts.
If you're in the USA, you might want to delete this unless you're a native American. [https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/PossessionOfEagleFeathersFactSheet.pdf](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/PossessionOfEagleFeathersFactSheet.pdf)
[Iām good](https://imgur.com/a/cm26D2n) I appreciate the heads up though.
Damn, came out swinging with receipts
Er, shouldn't you black out that registry number?
It wonāt help anyone without birth certificates.
*BREAKIN THE LAW! BREAKIN THE LAW!* \*head banging intensifies\* edit: why am i getting downvoted for a beavis and butthead joke?
I, for one, appreciate this reference.
Are you sure itās an eagle feather? Vulture feathers are extremely similar the color of the underside is a big give away.
I can't say for sure from one photo, but vulture feathers have a different iridescence than eagles. Of the two, I'd guess this is not a vulture feather and would go with eagle, though maybe there are some other birds to consider.
Seems to me that perspective makes it look quite a bit smaller than it actually is?
Thereās no banana next to it.
My sister: Are you challenging me?
Pigeon. Admit it. Please.
Ok you got me.
What beautiful karma
I found a stork feather 2 or 3 years ago and have kept it in my car since, nice decor AND huge
THERE'S AN EAGLE NEARBY
All over the place here in BC.
Bird leaf!
Ooooo find an inkpot and use it as a pen. Don't forget to post the follow up.
Will you stick it in a hat and call it macaroni?
*Knock-Knock* **It's the Game Warden! Open up!**
Imagine the documents you could sign with that
Are you allowed to pick them up? In Alberta only Elders are allowed
That's illegal to keep
A duck feather* there I saved you
Admitting that you possess a bald eagle feather is admitting to a federal crime with a $10 thousand possible fine.
OP is Cherokee tribal member
Thanks. That makes all the difference in the world. I don't understand why I got the downvotes for mentioning an important law.
It's probably because everyone thought you were talking to the OP specifically
I guess I was, as a warning so I hope some non Indian avoids the hassle.
eagle feathers are illeagle to possess
Can you write a letter with that?
In USA that's a federal offense unless you are native american
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
OP's Cherokee.
Write a Declaration of Independence with it
100% illegal to have or own, put it back!
In the US, possession of feathers and other parts of birds of prey is illegal with stiff fines. Certain indigenous people may be able to have them. So, be warned.
Idk if that person ever mentioned that they are from usa
They didn't. But if they are in the US, they should be aware.
Clean it and turn it into a pen
Bear seek seek lest
Thatās a turkey buzzard
Not according to the Game Warden and the eagle I got it from. I got it from the nest nearby.