- Joined
- Mar 23, 2019
As you said, as far as I understand it it’s a grey area to possess feathers as a registered falconer. I know some keep molted wing and tail feathers to be used to repair damaged feathers on their birds.
50 CFR § 21.29 (f)
(12) Feathers that a falconry bird or birds molts.
(i) For imping (replacing a damaged feather with a molted feather), you may possess tail feathers and primary and secondary wing feathers for each species of raptor you possess or previously held for as long as you have a valid falconry permit. You may receive feathers for imping from other permitted falconers, wildlife rehabilitators, or propagators in the United States, and you may give feathers to them. You may not buy, sell, or barter such feathers.
(ii) You may donate feathers from a falconry bird, except golden eagle feathers, to any person or institution with a valid permit to have them, or to anyone exempt from the permit requirement under § 21.12.
(iii) Except for primary or secondary flight feathers or retrices from a golden eagle, you are not required to gather feathers that are molted or otherwise lost by a falconry bird. You may leave the feathers where they fall, store them for imping, or destroy them. However, you must collect molted flight feathers and retrices from a golden eagle. If you choose not to keep them for imping, you must send them to the National Eagle Repository.
(iv) We request that you send all feathers (including body feathers) that you collect from any falconry golden eagle and that you do not need for imping, to the National Eagle Repository at the following address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Eagle Repository, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Building 128, Commerce City, Colorado 80022. The telephone number at the Repository is 303-287-2110.
(v) If your permit expires or is revoked, you must donate the feathers of any species of falconry raptor except a golden eagle to any person or any institution exempt from the permit requirement under § 21.12 or authorized by permit to acquire and possess the feathers. If you do not donate the feathers, you must burn, bury, or otherwise destroy them.
Note: Golden eagle feathers are the most sacred and sought from the NER - I've been on the waiting list for golden eagle feathers for 5 years. My bald eagle feathers came in 6 months.