In Regards to Posts about the Possession of Raptor Parts

Hello everyone,

right off the bat I want to say that this is a friendly clarification, not an angry mod letter. In the two years I've been here this has never been a problem but a recent post from a person who had found a roadkilled owl has brought the subject up. Here is the comment I made, but it was wisely suggested that it be distinguished as a separate post:

On the topic in general, thank you all for being aware of the MBTA. For those who are unaware, possession/sale/trade of raptors and their parts is taken very seriously in the USA. Misinterpretation of the laws or assumptions about what one can with raptor parts can result in the suspension of one's falconry license among other possible repercussions.

This has not come up before in this sub but I want to make it clear that for this reason, posts involving the above make me nervous. Pictures of a hawk on a glove are one thing- I am obviously not going to assume you're a hawk poacher- but it is not uncommon for people to innocently pick up or try to procure hawk feathers, for instance, not realizing it is against the law to do so. If you are posting a photo of, say, your rehab's feather collection for the repository, please go ahead and include the backstory on why it's legal to prevent misinterpretation by laypersons browsing through this sub. Sale/barter/trade of raptors or their parts is also red flag territory.

I would like to add that breaking the laws about this isn't just a risk to falconers- my main motivation for being very careful is that I do not want to lose my falconry license. No matter who you are, violation of these laws can come back to sock you in the arse! Here are some links that may be helpful.

• Raptors and the Law: This is my go-to short reference for the two big raptor protection laws currently in place and what the consequences can be for violations. It also explains the MBTA.

• Here is the full US Fish and Wildlife Guide to the Laws and Treaties of the United States for Protecting Migratory Birds, which includes summaries and links to full versions of the laws.

• This is the formal List of the Species of Birds Protected by the MBTA as issued by the FWS in 2013. Just because it is not on the list does not mean that it is legal to have/buy/sell.

If you find a dead raptor, it's best not to mess with it- but consider contacting your state FWS office to report it. Depending on the species and area they may wish to examine the carcass. Bald eagles especially should be reported. You can also Google "-your county or state- + nature center" or "natural history museum" and inquire with them.

In my experience, the most common occurrences are probably going to be

• "I found this cool feather, can you tell me what bird it's from?"
• "I salvaged a roadkill hawk, what can I do with it?"
• "Where can I buy a real owl talon?"

I have seen many similar examples and in most cases the authors, once informed of the legal aspect, are disappointed but thankful for the information. Assume ignorance rather than malice and we should do fine. Again I say:

Continue to answer questions kindly but don't hesitate to shoot me a note about concerning activity.

Thanks everybody!

-Ari