If your interested, this site has more information about the migratory bird act:
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-712) implements four international conservation treaties that the U.S.
www.fws.gov
This is a US law, so if you live outside the US, it would not apply to you, but many countries do have laws in place to protect native wildlife.
In a nutshell, this is what you need to know:
"The possession of feathers and other parts of native North American birds without a permit is
prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). This protects wild birds by preventing their killing by collectors and the commercial trade in their feathers, and extends to all feathers, regardless of how they were obtained. There is no exemption for molted feathers or those taken from road- or window-killed birds."
Likewise, if you found bones or bird eggs, those are also protected. Keeping native birds as pets is also not legal without a special permit.
There are a few exceptions. For example, hunters are allowed to take gamebirds, including all of the fearhers, assuming they have the necessary permits or hunting licenses to do so. And there are also exceptions in place for native americans, since feathers from native bird species have cultural and religious significance for some tribes.
The migratory bird act does NOT apply to invasive bird species, barnyard poultry, and legally obtained pet birds. Since it is generally illegal to have native birds as pets, pet birds should all be non-natives or domesticated bird species.
This FAQ covers some additional questions:
Welcome to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory, the only Lab in the world devoted to crimes against wildlife. This home page summarizes our capabilities, and is geared toward our prominent audiences: science professionals, special agents and wildlife inspectors, and students...
www.fws.gov
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As a general rule, game wardens will not be storming your house if you pick up a neat bird feather in your backyard. Even if a warden caught you in the act of taking a feather from a national park, he would probably just ask you to put it back and let you off with a warning.
The Migratory Bird act is in place to protect native birds from being exploited by poachers and bird traders, not punish wildlife enthusiasts that love birds. But it is important to realize that the childhood rule of "Finders, Keepers" does not apply in all cases, especially when dealing with protected wildlife.
But if you are going through a dead relative's belongings and find an extensive collection of native bird feathers from his years as a bird watcher, you probably should not try to sell them on eBay or something. And before you buy a stuffed owl from a taxedermist, double-check that you would not be breaking the law simply by owning it.
