Ecology

Finding feathers

Anne Gageby
Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

(7/2024) "Can I have an owl feather?"

This question has come up numerous times in a variety of situations involving our barred owl, Strix. The question is usually asked during an Animal Ambassador program when we discuss the unique properties of barred owl feathers. Or when someone spots a feather or two in his enclosure and enquires about it later. It’s an innocent question outlined with sincere appreciation for a beloved animal. After all, who doesn’t love owls? And their feathers are incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of finding and keeping feathers is a hard "no". It’s illegal to collect owl feathers, even ones Strix has shed naturally.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prohibits the taking of wild bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The word "taking" includes the killing, capturing, trading, selling, collecting, and transporting of all parts of the bird including feathers, their nests, and eggs. The list of protected birds includes over 1,000 species of native migratory birds including songbirds, as well as non-migratory birds such as eagles, hawks, and chickadees along with many, many more. And, of course, our beloved owls.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is one of our country’s oldest environmental laws and came about after years of effort by environmentalists and other early conservationists including the Audubon Society. It’s easy to look at a law from a hundred years ago and misunderstand why and how it should apply today. After all, life was very different back then and we’re just collecting pretty feathers today. No harm in that, right?

It’s not that simple. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act came about because of years of exploitation and unregulated hunting practices that lead to the extinction of species such as the passenger pigeon and near-extinction of others such as the snowy egret which was primarily hunted for its extraordinary feathers. These feathers were used in hats and other fashionable decorations as were the plumes of many bird species in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An estimated 200 million wild birds were killed each year to support the millinery trade’s demands. The most hunted species’ populations declined rapidly. Fortunately, hunters, conservationists, and bird enthusiasts banded together to help put an end to the unlimited slaughter.

It was the saving grace for some species but not all. The now extinct passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America, comprising between 25 and 40 percent of the total bird population. Estimates say the birds numbered somewhere between three and five billion. Yes, billion. To put that in perspective, the North American wolf population hovered around one million before predator eradication programs reduced their numbers to a few thousand.

The passenger pigeon was a hypersocial bird that roosted in tightly packed flocks large enough to break tree limbs when perching. They were known to even stand on one another’s backs if there was no remaining space on a limb. Migrating flocks could cover miles and block out sunlight for hours at a time. They could also do extensive damage to crops. Passenger pigeons were generalist eaters which fed on a wide variety of nuts, seeds, and insects. As deforestation began to impact flocks’ living conditions, they turned to easily accessible field crops to supply their massive consumption needs. A farmer’s field could be destroyed within an incredibly short period of time as a flock of pigeons stopped for a bite to eat.

It wasn’t just pigeons looking for an easy meal, though. Because of their roosting habits and massive flocks, passenger pigeons became known as a poor man’s staple. A hunter could easily bag enough pigeons to feed his family with minimal effort. By the 1850s the market for pigeon meat had boomed as it was cheap and accessible to just about everyone. And the birds seemed to be in endless supply. Unfortunately, reality hit around the time of the Civil War. People began noticing a marked decrease in pigeon numbers and by the 1890s the passenger pigeon had almost completely disappeared. The last captive passenger pigeon died in 1914.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act couldn’t save the passenger pigeon, but it did save millions of other birds and continues to do so. Over the years, it has been amended and updated to include Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia to ensure the sustainability of all protected bird species. Which brings us to today. It’s easy to look around our backyards and forests and see cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, and many more. Birds seem to be everywhere. I’ve even seen great blue herons hanging out by our pond at Strawberry Hill. But that wasn’t always the case and it’s because of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that populations have been able to rebound and thrive.

Not all birds are protected, however. House sparrows, European starlings, and rock pigeons are all non-native species and tend to be disruptive to their environments. Most wild game birds are also not protected by the treaty though hunting regulations do exist for birds such as turkeys, ducks, geese, doves, and many shorebirds.

Owls like Strix are protected and highly regulated. As an educational institution we are required to have specific licenses to house and maintain him. And another license to collect his feathers. It’s a lot of processes and an honor to be able to work with such an incredible animal.

Fortunately, barred owls are thriving in our woods today as are many other bird species. I look back at my great-great-grandparents’ time and wonder what it would be like to stand where Strawberry Hill is now and see vast swaths of farms and fields. By the turn of the 20th century, these spaces must have felt so empty without roaming wildlife and fewer birds returning every year. We live in a completely different world today and I’m grateful for it. I get to experience the fruits of early conservationists’ labors. All I have to do is walk outside to see the herons perching by our pond, the songbirds calling outside my office window. It’s remarkable how far we’ve come. And the road to ecological recovery really doesn’t have an ending but it does start here, one feather at a time.

Anne Gageby is the Environmental Education Manager of the Strawberry Hill Foundation. Strawberry Hill inspires stewardship of our natural world by
connecting the community with educational opportunities.
 Learn more by visiting StrawberryHill.org.