> There is a depressingly large illegal trade in feathers to
> be used as decorations, not just of bald eagles, but of jays and other
> colorful birds. Whole wings and tails go for 100's to 1,000's of dollars.
> The problem is big enough that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife has carried out
> several multi-year undercover sting operations, mostly in the south west.
> Native peoples, museums, and the occaisional researcher receive
> special permits to have whole or parts of birds.

There was an article in National Wildlife a year or two ago that
mentioned that when zoo eagles die, the feathers are given to native
Americans who use them for ceremonial purposes and since that was
started, the black market price of a Bald Eagle carcass plumetted from a
few thousand dollars to $500. A poacher would have to sell a lot to make
up for getting caught and fined once, so a lot of poaching stopped. So
the article claimed. NWF does tend to put a rosy spin on things, but it
sounds reasonable.

Happy bird-day,
Ken

Ken Gale
New York City
nuffsaid at escape.com