Obtaining Eagles and Eagle
Feathers from the National Eagle
Repository
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
For hundreds of years, Native
Americans have used eagle feathers
for religious and cultural purposes,
including healing, marriage, and
naming ceremonies.
Recognizing
the signifi cance of eagles and eagle
feathers to Native Americans, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service established
the National Eagle Repository in
the early 1970s to provide Native
Americans with the parts and feathers
of golden and bald eagles needed for
religious purposes.
May Native Americans collect their own
eagle feathers?
No. Years of habitat loss, exposure
to deadly agricultural chemicals,
and poaching dramatically reduced
populations of bald and golden eagles.
To protect these birds, Congress
passed the Bald Eagle Protection
Act in 1940 and amended it in 1962
to include golden eagles. This law
prohibits take, transport, sale, barter,
trade, import, export, and possession of
eagles, making it illegal for anyone to
collect eagles and eagle parts without a
permit.
How does the Repository obtain eagles?
We serve as a national collection
point for dead eagles. State and
Federal wildlife personnel salvage
most of the birds we receive. Many
have died as a result of electrocution,
vehicle collisions, unlawful shooting
and trapping, or from natural causes.
We also receive eagle carcasses and
feathers from zoos and nature centers.
How does the Repository process eagles?
We assign each bird an identifi cation
number for tracking purposes and
enter descriptive information about it
in a database. We note the condition
of the bird and its feathers and record
its species and age. If part of the
bird
or feathers are missing, damaged,
or broken, we may add replacement
parts from another bird to make it
complete. (We notify the recipient
before shipping if we have made such
substitutions.) The bird is then stored
in a freezer until we are ready to ship it,
usually within 3 to 5 days.
Who may obtain an eagle from the
Repository?
Only enrolled members of a federally
recognized tribe may obtain an eagle or
eagle feathers from the Repository for
religious use.
How do I obtain an eagle?
You must apply to the Service for an
eagle possession permit. This permit
authorizes you to receive and possess
an eagle or eagle feathers from the
Repository.
To apply for a permit, you must
complete and submit the following
documents to the nearest Service
Regional Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce:
• A permit application and
shipping request (Service
Form 3-200-15a, Eagle Parts
for Native American Religious
Purposes).
• Certifi cation of tribal
enrollment signed by an
authorized tribal offi cial.
How do I get these forms?
You may request a permit application
(which includes the tribal enrollment
certifi cation form) by writing or calling
the Regional Migratory Bird Permit
Offi ce that issues permits for people in
your State.
These forms and related instructions
are also available on the internet at
.
You can print these documents, fi ll
the forms out, and mail them to the
appropriate permit offi ce. Or you can
type in the required information before
you print them.
What information must be included in my
application?
You must specify whether you want
a golden or bald eagle, a mature or
immature bird, or have no preference,
and identify whether you want a whole
bird, specifi c parts, or loose feathers.
You must provide a current telephone
number so we can call you when your
order is ready to ship.
You should
notify your Regional Migratory Bird
Permit Offi ce if your address or phone
number change
after you submit your
application.
How does the Service process my
application?
The Regional Migratory Bird Permit
Offi ce reviews and approves your
application. It is then forwarded to the
Repository where we fi ll your request
as quickly as possible.
How long is the wait to obtain an eagle?
We fi ll requests for eagles on a fi rst-come,
fi rst-serve basis. We typically
keep eagles at the Repository just long
enough to contact the next applicant on
the waiting list, usually 3 to 5 days.
About 95 percent of orders are for
whole eagles. As a result, there are
now over 3,000 people on the waiting
list for the approximately 1,500 eagles
we receive each year.
Because of the large demand and
limited supply,
applicants can expect
to wait from 3
½ to 4 years for a whole
eagle.
Is the waiting time less for loose feathers?
Yes. We can usually fi ll requests for
loose feathers within 90 days to six
months.
May I apply for more than one eagle?
Due to the large demand and limited
supply, each applicant may apply for
only one whole eagle or specifi c parts
equivalent to one bird (i.e., two wings,
one tail, and two talons) at a time. You
may have only one request pending.
After we fi ll your request, you may
reapply to receive another eagle or
parts.
May I sell objects made from eagle
feathers and parts?
No. No one may sell, buy, barter, or
trade the feathers or parts of bald or
golden eagles and other migratory
birds. As a Native American, however,
you may hand eagle items down to
family members from generation to
generation or give them to another
Native American for religious
March 2005
purposes. But you may not give
eagle feathers or parts to non-Native
Americans as a gift because these
individuals may not legally possess
eagle items.
May I take eagle feathers or parts with me
when I travel to Canada or Mexico?
Yes. As an enrolled member of a U.S.
federally recognized tribe, you may
travel to Canada or Mexico with eagle
items for religious and cultural use.
No U.S. permit is required. You must,
however, declare your items to the Fish
and Wildlife Service or Customs and
Border Protection when you enter or
leave the United States at any border
crossing or U.S. airport. You may
travel only with personally owned,
legally possessed items, and you must
leave and return to the United States
with the same items. You should also
check with Canada and Mexico to see if
those countries require permits.
May I take eagle feathers or parts with me
to other countries?
If you want to travel overseas with
eagle items for religious or cultural
use, you must obtain an eagle transport
permit from the Service. Since eagles
are protected under an international
treaty, you need this authorization so
that you can clear customs in other
countries and keep your eagle items
from being seized overseas.
How does the National Eagle Repository
benefi t wildlife?
Our salvage efforts provide a legal
means for Native Americans to acquire
eagles and eagle feathers for religious
purposes.
Our work reduces the
pressure to take birds from the wild
and helps to protect eagle populations.
How can I learn more about obtaining
eagles or eagle feathers for religious use?
For more information or to obtain a
permit application, contact the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Regional
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce that
handles requests from the State where
you live:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
911 N.E. 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232-4181
Phone: (503) 872-2715
States: CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, &
Pacifi c Island Territories
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
P.O. Box 709
Albuquerque, NM 87103
Phone: (505) 248-7882
States: AZ, NM, OK, TX
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
One Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056
Phone: (612) 713-5436
States: AL, AK, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS,
NC, PR, SC, TN, VI
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
P.O. Box 779
Hadley, MA 01035-0779
Phone: (413) 253-8643
States: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA,
NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
P.O. Box 25486, DFC
Denver, CO 80225-0486
Phone: (303) 236-8171
States: CO, KS, MT, NE, ND,
SD, UT, WY
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permit Offi ce
1011 East Tudor Rd.(MS 201)
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: (907) 786-3693
States: AK
How can I learn more about Federal laws
and regulations that protect eagles?
Check the Service Law Enforcement
website at or
contact the Offi ce of Law Enforcement
at the following address:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Offi ce of Law Enforcement
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS-LE-3000
Arlington, VA 22203
