National Aviary Shares Eagle Feathers
with Native Americans;
Thousands on Waiting List

Feathers from the National Aviary's three Bald Eagles will soon be passed on to Native Americans as part of a national program coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Molted feathers collected throughout the past year will be shipped to the National Eagle Repository in Colorado where they will be distributed to a waiting list of Native Americans who have registered to receive them.

The feathers of the Bald Eagle, treasured by Native Americans over the centuries for use in religious and cultural ceremonies, are extremely rare. After a dramatic drop in numbers due to habitat loss, chemical exposure and poaching, the birds gained national protection in 1940 when Congress established the Bald Eagle Protection Act. In addition to making it illegal to hunt, own or sell the birds, the Act makes it illegal to collect eagle parts without a permit.

According to the National Eagle Repository, the waiting list for feathers numbers in the thousands, with many individuals waiting several years to receive feathers.

"The National Aviary is pleased to participate in this important program which provides a legal means for acquiring feathers for religious purposes," says Dayton Baker, executive director of the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. "This effort helps to protect wild populations of these magnificent birds while honoring the significance of these birds to Native Americans."

Only enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe can obtain a permit authorizing them to receive feathers from the National Eagle Repository. Certification of tribal enrollment from the Bureau of Indian Affairs or Tribal Enrollment Office is required along with a completed application.

Individuals who find eagle feathers should contact their nearest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Permit Office. In southwestern Pennsylvania, contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Permit Office, Region 5, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 01035. Phone: (413) 253-8641. More information at http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/law/eagle.

The National Aviary inspires respect for nature through an appreciation of birds (http://www.aviary.org).

Contact: Laura Ellis, 412.559.3519 / 412.323.7235, x215