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episode 5: Did You Know it's Illegal to Possess Most Bird Feathers in the U.S?
First, let me apologize to my international listeners -- this is a U.S.-centric episode but similar laws apply in many other countries!
This topic will probably be of most interest to landscape photographers, wildlife photographers, and nature photographers.
I lived in this country for my entire life without ever knowing that it's a violation of federal law to possess bird feathers, even if you found them on the ground. Listen to this short episode for the details.
Official Resources I’m certainly no expert on this, so don’t take any of my statements in this blog post as legal advice. The safest bet is to follow the admonition of the FWS and simply leave feathers where you find them. That’s what I’ll be doing from now on. Below are a couple of official sources for you to find more details.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protected Species List
https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The Feather Atlas
https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/index.php
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Feathers an d the Law
https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/feathers-and-the-law.php
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FAQ
https://www.fws.gov/lab /featheratlas/faq.php
My Blog Post on this Topic
https://icatchshadows.com/did-you-know-its-illegal-to-possess-most-bird-feathers/
My Website
https://keithdotson.com/