Raptor protection act california

Legal Requirements for Possessing a Raptor or Raptor Parts

Many people ask �If I find an eagle or hawk feather, can I keep it?� Unfortunately the answer is No. All raptors are protected by state and federal regulations. It is illegal to capture or kill a raptor; possess a raptor (living or dead), or any pieces or parts of raptors, including feathers, without the proper permits from state governments and the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In the United States, wildlife species are considered the property of all citizens and are protected and managed by federal and state governments. Public sentiment, as well as the law, does not favor the unrestricted use of wildlife for commercial purposes. Thus killing, collecting, or taking into captivity most forms of wildlife is either against the law or strictly regulated.

All birds native to North America, (which excludes pigeons, European starlings, and English sparrows), are protected by at least one, and sometimes many more, federal laws. Additionally, many states and municipalities also regulate the keeping of wild birds.

> to keep a red-tailed hawk a Special Purpose Possession Permit is required under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,

> to keep a peregrine falcon, you must have a Special Purpose Possession Permit and an Endangered Species Permit,

> to keep a bald eagle, you will need a Special Purpose Possession Permit, an Endangered Species Permit, and an Eagle Exhibition Permit, issued under the Bald Eagle Act. All of these federal permits are issued through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and require annual reports and renewal.

Federal and state agencies and personnel are not exempt from obtaining permits. This includes state and national parks, wildlife areas, research facilities, all of which must obtain the same permits as everyone else.