Many states, like New Hampshire, will give out tickets and fines if they find you in possession of one. The reason being...they don't want to encourage anyone to kill the animal and claim "Oh..I found it dead on the side of the road." It's also illegal to trade in certain reptile skins too.

If you are First Nations, you can own them, and they are awarded to First Nations people for ceremonial reasons. I'm not sure if individuals can keep ones they find or if they have to turn them in to the governing body.

No. Illegal to own, unless you are a Native American.

Nope

NO. In fact you are supposed to notify some government official. You are NOT even allowed to touch it. The government will come out and "assume control" and the feather will be delivered to a local Indian Tribe.

I found out the hard way... I have a huge collection of feathers I have picked up on hikes over the years... about a hat box stuffed full of them, all different kinds of birds. I was at a bird of prey center, and I mentioned that I had an eagle feather I fished out of the river a couple years ago. They told me I had to surrender it, so I did. It was beautiful, but not nearly as large as the one shown. Mine was maybe half that size.

No. They’re actually quite strict about it and the fines can be quite high. Even the feathers of our eagles at the zoo are collected and turned over to the govt for distribution to Native Americans.

No, unfortunately. At least in America, unless you can prove that the feather was shed naturally, you can’t keep it. It’s supposed to protect migratory birds, but generally not even crows or seagulls are worth the risk.

Only if they are Native American

Oops i typed response in wrong place. Native Americans can own the feathers but they will only pick it up from water or if caught in foliage. Once it hits the ground it requires a ceremony completed by a medicine person to pick it up.

No, they would not, Lauren. Because it is impossible to tell if the feather was harvested or dropped. The birds and everything associated with them is protected. That actually goes for *most* of the feathers you see lying around. If it migrates? its protected in the US/Canada.

If you are in USA and not First Nations, nope. Even if you find a loose feather on the ground you must report it, don't pick it up...

Wowsers! I can see the logic: prevent people killing/farming eagles and pretending the feathers were found? I thought it might be more like pounamu(greenstone) in nz, I found a big chunk in my garden, contacted the local iwi. They discussed and gave me permission to keep It, not for selling of course but to just have. I guess it's apples and onions though, pounamu is not from a living creature but feathers are?

Legally, we're not allowed to keep any feathers because they know it leads to a market for them & then @ssholes will hunt the birds for their feathers. But in practice, I keep & display all the beautiful feathers I find. But I don't sell them or give them away.

Not in the United States. It is actually illegal to keep unless you are an indigenous person or have a specific wildlife license.

No, you can't keep it

It would be awesome if you could!

It's a felony to have eagle feathers if you are not First Nations or Native American. So legally, no. They need to surrender it and they go to depositories where Native and First Nations people can get them as they are the most sacred item in so many cultures. Source: Native American and First Nations from a Reservation who owns multiple.eagle feathers and has done research on the laws of ownership. You also.can't sell them.

Nope.

Only if she is an American Indian.

No. Mainly because they are a protected species, but also because there are people in the world who would kill an eagle to sell the various parts, so it is a bright line deterrent.

No, it is a 25k fine

Only Indigenous Americans may keep eagle feathers.

No, it's a Federal crime to be in possession of one without a federal, tribal and/or state permit and you're one of the federal government recognized indigenous tribes.

By "fine" this human means jail time

No; this is illegal

Nope

Apparently not. If I found one, I’d try to keep it… and just not show it off. Kind of ridiculous. It’s just a bird, and cultures don’t own birds. I would never kill an eagle 🦅 for any reason, but it’s silly to make it illegal to keep random feathers you find on the ground or floating on the water… just based on your ethnicity. 🤷🏻‍♀️