(a) Permit requirement. A taxidermist permit is required before any person may perform taxidermy services on migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs for any person other than himself.

(b) Application procedures. Submit application for taxidermist permits to the appropriate Regional Director (Attention: Migratory bird permit office). You can find addresses for the Regional Directors in 50 CFR 2.2. Each application must contain the general information and certification required in § 13.12(a) of this subchapter, and the following additional information:

(1) The address of premises where taxidermist services will be provided;

(2) A statement of the applicant's qualifications and experience as a taxidermist; and

(3) If a State permit is required by State law, a statement as to whether or not the applicant possesses such State permit, giving its number and expiration date.

(c) Permit authorizations. A permit authorizes a taxidermist to:

(1) Receive, transport, hold in custody or possession, mount or otherwise prepare, migratory birds, and their parts, nests, or eggs, and return them to another.

(2) Sell properly marked, captive-reared migratory waterfowl (family Anatidae) which they have lawfully acquired and mounted. Such mounted birds may be placed on consignment for sale and may be possessed by such consignee for the purpose of sale.

(d) Additional permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B, taxidermist permits shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Permittees must keep accurate records of operations, on a calendar year basis, showing the names and addresses of persons from and to whom migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs were received or delivered, the number and species of such, and the dates of receipt and delivery. In addition to the other records required by this paragraph, the permittee must maintain in his files, the original of the completed Form 3-186, Notice of Transfer or Sale of Migratory Waterfowl, confirming his acquisition of captive reared, properly marked migratory waterfowl from the holder of a current waterfowl sale and disposal permit.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, the receipt, possession, and storage by a taxidermist of any migratory game birds taken by another by hunting is not authorized unless they are tagged as required by § 20.36 of this subchapter. The required tags may be removed during the taxidermy operations but must be retained by the taxidermist with the other records required to be kept and must be reattached to the mounted specimen after mounting. The tag must then remain attached until the mounted specimen is delivered to the owner.

(e) Term of permit. A taxidermist permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked, but the term of the permit will not exceed five (5) years from the date of issuance or renewal.

[39 FR 1178, Jan. 4, 1974, as amended at 54 FR 38151, Sept. 14, 1989; 63 FR 52637, Oct. 1, 1998; 70 FR 18320, Apr. 11, 2005. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Permit requirement. Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, you must have a permit to import or export migratory birds, their parts, nests, or eggs. You must meet the applicable permit requirements of the following parts of this subchapter B, even if the activity is exempt from a migratory bird import or export permit:

(1) 13 (General Permit Procedures);

(2) 14 (Importation, Exportation, and Transportation of Wildlife);

(3) 15 (Wild Bird Conservation Act);

(4) 17 (Taking, Possession, Transportation, Sale, Purchase, Barter, Exportation, and Importation of Wildlife and Plants);

(5) 20 (Migratory Bird Hunting);

(6) 21 (Migratory Bird Permits);

(7) 22 (Eagle Permits); and

(8) 23 (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)).

(b) Exception to the import permit requirements. If you comply with the requirements of parts 14, 20, and 23 of this subchapter B, you do not need a migratory bird permit to import or possess migratory birds in the families Anatidae, Columbidae, Gruidae, Rallidae, and Scolopacidae for personal use that were lawfully hunted by you in a foreign country. The birds may be carcasses, skins, or mounts. You must provide evidence that you lawfully took the bird or birds in, and exported them from, the country of origin. This evidence must include a hunting license and any export documentation required by the country of origin. You must keep these documents with the imported bird or birds permanently.

(c) General exceptions to the export permit requirements. You do not need a migratory bird export permit to:

(1) Export live, captive-bred migratory game birds (see § 20.11 of this part) to Canada or Mexico if they are marked by one of the following methods:

(i) Removal of the hind toe from the right foot;

(ii) Pinioning of a wing by removal of all or some of the metacarpal bones of one wing, which renders the bird permanently incapable of flight;

(iii) Banding of one metatarsus with a seamless metal band; or

(iv) A readily discernible tattoo of numbers and/or letters on the web of one foot.

(2) Export live, lawfully-acquired, captive-bred raptors provided you hold a valid raptor propagation permit issued under § 21.85 and you obtain a CITES permit or certificate issued under part 23 to do so. You must have full documentation of the lawful origin of each raptor, and each must be identifiable with a seamless band issued by the Service, including any raptor with an implanted microchip for identification.

(d) Falconry birds covered under a CITES “pet passport.” You do not need a migratory bird import or export permit to temporarily export and subsequently import a raptor or raptors you lawfully possess for falconry to and from another country for use in falconry when the following conditions are met:

(1) You must meet applicable requirements in part 14 (Importation, Exportation, and Transportation of Wildlife) of this subchapter B.

(2) You may need one or more additional permits to take a bird from the United States or to return home with it (see 50 CFR part 15 (Wild Bird Conservation Act), part 17 (Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants), and part 23 (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)).

(3) Each raptor must be covered by a CITES certificate of ownership issued under part 23 of this chapter. You must have full documentation of the lawful origin of each raptor (a copy of a propagation report with band number or a 3-186A report), and each must be identifiable with a seamless band or a permanent, nonreusable, numbered Fish and Wildlife Service leg band issued by the Service, including any raptor with an implanted microchip for identification. We may exempt a raptor from banding because of health concerns, but you must provide proof of the exemption from your falconry permitting authority.

(4) You must bring any raptor that you export out of the country for falconry under a CITES “pet passport” back to the United States when you return.

(5) If the raptor dies or is lost, you are not required to bring it back, but you must report the loss immediately upon your return to the United States in the manner required by the falconry regulations of your State, and according to any conditions on your CITES certificate.

(e) Inspection of imported or exported migratory birds. All migratory birds imported into, or exported from, the United States, and any associated documentation, may be inspected by the Service. You must comply with the import and export regulations in Part 14 of this chapter.

(f) Applying for a migratory bird import or export permit. You must apply to the appropriate Regional Director—Attention Migratory Bird Permit Office. You can find the address for your Regional Director in § 2.2 of subchapter A of this chapter. Your application package must include a completed application (form 3-200-6, or 3-200-7 if the import or export is associated with an application for a scientific collecting permit), and a check or money order made payable to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the amount of the application fee for permits issued under this section, as listed in § 13.11 of this chapter.

(g) Criteria we will consider before issuing a permit. After we receive a completed import or export application, the Regional Director will decide whether to issue you a permit based on the general criteria of § 13.21 of this chapter, and whether you meet the following requirements:

(1) You are at least 18 years of age;

(2) The bird was lawfully acquired; and

(3) The purpose of the import or export is consistent with the conservation of the species; and

(4) For an import permit, whether you are authorized to lawfully possess the migratory bird after it is imported.

(h) Are there standard conditions for the permit? Yes, standard conditions for your permit are set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B. You must also comply with the regulations in part 14 (Importation, Exportation, and Transportation of Wildlife). We may place additional requirements or restrictions on your permit as appropriate.

(i) Term of a migratory bird import and export permit. Your migratory bird import or export permit will be valid for not more than 5 years. It will expire on the date designated on its face unless it is amended or revoked.

[73 FR 47097, Aug. 13, 2008, as amended at 73 FR 55451, Sept. 25, 2008. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Permit requirement. A banding or marking permit is required before any person may capture migratory birds for banding or marking purposes or use official bands issued by the Service for banding or marking any migratory bird.

(b) Application procedures. Applications for banding or marking permits shall be submitted by letter of application addressed to the Bird Banding Laboratory, Office of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland 20708. Each such application shall contain the general information and certification set forth by § 13.12(a) of this subchapter plus the following additional information:

(1) Species and numbers proposed to be banded or marked;

(2) Purpose of banding or marking;

(3) State or States in which authorization is requested; and

(4) Name and address of the public, scientific, or educational institution to which any specimens will be donated that are salvaged pursuant to paragraphs (c) (3) and (4) of this section.

(c) Additional permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B, banding or marking permits shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) The banding of migratory birds shall only be by official numbered leg bands issued by the Service. The use of any other band, clip, dye, or other method of marking is prohibited unless specifically authorized in the permit.

(2) All traps or nets used to capture migratory birds for banding or marking purposes shall have attached thereto a tag or label clearly showing the name and address of the permittee and his permit number, or the area in which such traps or nets are located must be posted with notice of banding operations posters (Forms available upon request from the Bird Banding Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, MD 20708) which shall bear the name and address of the permittee and the number of his permit.

(3) The holder of a banding or marking permit may salvage, for the purpose of donating to a public scientific or educational institution, birds killed or found dead as a result of the permittee's normal banding operations, and casualties from other causes. All dead birds salvaged under authority of a migratory bird banding or marking permit must be donated and transferred to a public scientific or educational institution at least every 6 months or within 60 days of the time such permit expires or is revoked, unless the permittee has been issued a special permit authorizing possession for a longer period of time.

(4) Permittees must keep accurate records of their operations and file reports as set forth in the North American Bird Banding Manual, or supplements thereto, in accordance with instructions contained therein.

(d) Term of permit. A banding or marking permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked, but the term of the permit shall not exceed three (3) years from the date of issuance or renewal.

[39 FR 1178, Jan. 4, 1974, as amended at 54 FR 38151, Sept. 14, 1989. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Permit requirement. A scientific collecting permit is required before any person may take, transport, or possess migratory birds, their parts, nests, or eggs for scientific research or educational purposes.

(b) Application procedures. Submit applications for scientific permits to the appropriate Regional Director (Attention: Migratory bird permit office). You can find addresses for the Regional Directors in 50 CFR 2.2. Each application must contain the general information and certification required in § 13.12(a) of this subchapter, and the following additional information:

(1) Species and numbers of migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs to be taken or acquired when it is possible to determine same in advance;

(2) Location or locations where such scientific collecting is proposed;

(3) Statement of the purpose and justification for granting such a permit, including an outline of any research project involved;

(4) Name and address of the public, scientific, or educational institution to which all specimens ultimately will be donated; and

(5) If a State permit is required by State law, a statement as to whether or not the applicant possesses such State permit, giving its number and expiration date.

(c) Additional permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B, scientific collecting permits shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) All specimens taken and possessed under authority of a scientific collecting permit must be donated and transferred to the public scientific, or educational institution designated in the permit application within 60 days following the date such permit expires or is revoked, unless the permittee has been issued a special purpose permit (See § 21.95) authorizing possession for a longer period of time.

(2) Unless otherwise provided on the permit, all migratory game birds taken pursuant to a scientific collecting permit during the open hunting season for such birds must be in conformance with part 20 of this subchapter;

(3) Unless specifically stated on the permit, a scientific collecting permit does not authorize the taking of live migratory birds from the wild.

(4) In addition to any reporting requirement set forth in the permit, a report of the scientific collecting activities conducted under authority of such permit shall be submitted to the issuing officer on or before January 10 of each calendar year following the year of issue unless a different date is stated in the permit.

(d) Term of permit. A scientific collecting permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked, but the term of the permit shall not exceed three (3) years from the date of issuance or renewal.

[39 FR 1178, Jan. 4, 1974, as amended at 54 FR 38151, Sept. 14, 1989; 63 FR 52637, Oct. 1, 1998. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) What is the permit requirement? Except as provided in § 21.12, a rehabilitation permit is required to take, temporarily possess, or transport any migratory bird for rehabilitation purposes. However, any person who finds a sick, injured, or orphaned migratory bird may, without a permit, take possession of the bird in order to immediately transport it to a permitted rehabilitator.

(b) What are the general permit provisions? (1) The permit authorizes you to:

(i) Take from the wild or receive from another person sick, injured, or orphaned migratory birds and to possess them and provide rehabilitative care for them for up to 180 days;

(ii) Transport such birds to a suitable habitat for release, to another permitted rehabilitator's facilities, or to a veterinarian;

(iii) Transfer, release, or euthanize such birds;

(iv) Transfer or otherwise dispose of dead specimens; and

(v) Receive, stabilize, and transfer within 48 hours types of migratory bird species not authorized by your permit, in cases of emergency. If a rehabilitator authorized to care for the bird is not available within that timeframe, you must contact the issuing office for authorization to retain the bird until it can be transferred.

(2) The permit does not authorize the use of migratory birds for educational purposes.

(c) How do I apply for a migratory bird rehabilitation permit? You must apply to the appropriate Regional Director—Attention Migratory Bird Permit Office. You can find addresses for the appropriate Regional Directors in § 2.2 of subchapter A of this chapter. Your application package must consist of the following:

(1) A completed application (Form 3-200-10b);

(2) A copy of your State rehabilitation permit, license, or other authorization, if one is required in your State; and

(3) A check or money order made payable to the “U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service” in the amount of the application fee for permits issued under this section listed in § 13.11 of this chapter.

(d) What criteria will the Service consider before issuing a permit? (1) Upon receiving an application completed in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section, the Regional Director will decide whether to issue you a permit based on the general criteria of § 13.21 of this chapter and whether you meet the following requirements:

(i) You must be at least 18 years of age with at least 100 hours of hands-on experience, gained over the course of at least 1 whole year, rehabilitating the types of migratory birds you intend to rehabilitate (e.g., waterbirds, raptors), or comparable experience. Up to 20 hours of the 100-hour time requirement may be fulfilled by participation in migratory bird rehabilitation seminars and courses.

(ii) Your facilities must be adequate to properly care for the type(s) of migratory bird species you intend to rehabilitate, or you must have a working relationship with a person or organization with such facilities.

(iii) You must have an agreement with a licensed veterinarian to provide medical care for the birds you intend to rehabilitate, unless you are a licensed veterinarian.

(iv) You must have a State permit, license, or other authorization to rehabilitate migratory birds if such authorization required by your State.

(2) In issuing a permit, the Regional Director may place restrictions on the types of migratory bird species you are authorized to rehabilitate, based on your experience and facilities as well as on the specific physical requirements and behavioral traits of particular species.

(e) What are the standard conditions for this permit? In addition to the general permit conditions set forth in part 13 of this chapter, rehabilitation permits are subject to the following conditions:

(1) Facilities. You must conduct the activities authorized by this permit in appropriate facilities that are approved and identified on the face of your permit. In evaluating whether caging dimensions are adequate, the Service will use as a guideline the standards developed by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation, 2000). 1 The Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office will authorize variation from the standards where doing so is reasonable and necessary to accommodate a particular rehabilitator's circumstances, unless a determination is made that such variation will jeopardize migratory birds. However, except as provided by paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section, all facilities must adhere to the following criteria:

1 Copies may be obtained by contacting either the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, https://nwrawildlife.org/; or the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, https://theiwrc.org.

(i) Rehabilitation facilities for migratory birds must be secure and provide protection from predators, domestic animals, undue human disturbance, sun, wind, and inclement weather.

(ii) Caging must be made of a material that will not entangle or cause injury to the type of birds that will be housed within.

(iii) Enclosures must be kept clean, well-ventilated, and hygienic.

(iv) Birds must not be overcrowded, and must be provided enough perches, if applicable.

(v) Birds must be housed only with compatible migratory bird species.

(vi) Birds may not be displayed to the public unless you use video equipment, barriers, or other methods to reduce noise and exposure to humans to levels the birds would normally encounter in their habitat. You may not use any equipment for this purpose that causes stress or harm, or impedes the rehabilitation of any bird.

(2) Dietary requirements. You must provide the birds in your care with a diet that is appropriate and nutritionally approximates the natural diet consumed by the species in the wild, with consideration for the age and health of the individual bird.

(3) Subpermittees. Except as provided by paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section, anyone who will be performing activities that require permit authorization under paragraph (b)(1) of this section when you or a subpermittee are not present, including any individual who transports birds to or from your facility on a regular basis, must either possess a Federal rehabilitation permit or be authorized as your subpermittee by being named in writing to your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office. This does not apply to General Falconers or Master Falconers, who may assist with conditioning raptors for release without being your subpermittee. If you have a falconer assist in conditioning a rehabilitated raptor for release, you must provide the falconer with a letter or form that identifies the bird and explains that the falconer is assisting in rehabilitation of the raptor.

(i) Your subpermittees must be at least 18 years of age and possess sufficient experience to tend the species in their care.

(ii) Your subpermittees who are authorized to care for migratory birds at a site other than your facility must have facilities adequate to house the species in their care, based on the criteria of paragraph (e)(1) of this section. All such facilities except those of a falconer assisting in conditioning raptors for release must be approved by the issuing office.

(iii) As the primary permittee, you are legally responsible for ensuring that your subpermittees, staff, and volunteers adhere to the terms of your permit when conducting migratory bird rehabilitation activities.

(4) Disposition of birds under your care. (i) You must take every precaution to avoid imprinting or habituating birds in your care to humans. If a bird becomes imprinted to humans while under your care, you will be required to transfer the bird as directed by the issuing office.

(ii) After a bird is rehabilitated to a condition suitable for release to the wild, you must release it to suitable habitat as soon as seasonal conditions allow, except that you may transfer a rehabilitated wild raptor to a holder of a State, tribal, or territorial falconry permit if the permit holder is authorized to hold the species for use in falconry. The transfer may need the approval of your State, tribe, or territory. The falconer must complete a Form 3-186A reporting the transfer.

(A) You may not retain migratory birds longer than 180 days without additional authorization from your Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office. If the appropriate season for release is outside the 180-day timeframe, you must seek authorization from your Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office to possess the bird until the appropriate season.

(B) Before releasing a threatened or endangered migratory bird, you must comply with any requirements for the release from your Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office.

(iii) You must euthanize any bird that cannot feed itself, perch upright, or ambulate without inflicting additional injuries to itself where medical and/or rehabilitative care will not reverse such conditions. You must euthanize any bird that is completely blind, and any bird that has sustained injuries that would require amputation of a leg, a foot, or a wing at the elbow or above (humero-ulnar joint) rather than performing such surgery, unless:

(A) A licensed veterinarian submits a written recommendation that the bird should be kept alive, including an analysis of why the bird is not expected to experience the injuries and/or ailments that typically occur in birds with these injuries and a commitment (from the veterinarian) to provide medical care for the bird for the duration of its life, including complete examinations at least once a year;

(B) A placement is available for the bird with a person or facility authorized to possess it, where it will receive the veterinary care described in paragraph (e)(4)(iii)(A) of this section; and

(C) The issuing office specifically authorizes continued possession, medical treatment, and rehabilitative care of the bird.

(iv) You must obtain authorization from your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office before euthanizing endangered and threatened migratory bird species. In rare cases, the Service may designate a disposition other than euthanasia for those birds. If Service personnel are not available, you may euthanize endangered and threatened migratory birds without Service authorization when prompt euthanasia is warranted by humane consideration for the welfare of the bird.

(v) You may place nonreleasable live birds that are suitable for use in educational programs, foster parenting, research projects, or other permitted activities with persons permitted or otherwise authorized to possess such birds, with prior approval from your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office.

(vi)(A) You may donate dead birds and parts thereof, except threatened and endangered species, and bald and golden eagles, to persons authorized by permit to possess migratory bird specimens or exempted from permit requirements under § 21.12.

(B) You must obtain approval from your issuing office before disposing of or transferring any live or dead endangered or threatened migratory bird specimen, parts, or feathers.

(C) You must send all dead bald and golden eagles, and their parts and feathers to: National Eagle Repository, Building 128, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Commerce City, CO 80022. If your State requires you to notify State wildlife officers of a dead bald or golden eagle before sending the eagle to the Repository you must comply with State regulations. States may assume temporary possession of the carcasses for purposes of necropsy.

(D) Unless specifically required to do otherwise by the Service, you must promptly destroy all other dead specimens by such means as are necessary to prevent any exposure of the specimens to animals in the wild.

(vii) With authorization from your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office, you may hold a nonreleasable bird longer than 180 days for the purpose of fostering juveniles during their rehabilitation. You may also use birds you possess under an educational permit to foster juveniles.

(viii) You may possess a reasonable number of feathers for imping purposes, based on the numbers and species of birds for which you regularly provide care.

(ix) You may draw blood and take other medical samples for purposes of the diagnosis and recovery of birds under your care, or for transfer to authorized facilities conducting research pertaining to a contagious disease or other public health hazard.

(x) You may conduct necropsies on dead specimens in your possession, except that you must obtain approval from your Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office before conducting necropsies on threatened or endangered species.

(xi) This permit does not confer ownership of any migratory bird. All birds held under this permit remain under the stewardship of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

(5) Notification to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (i) You must notify your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office within 24 hours of acquiring a threatened or endangered migratory bird species, or bald or golden eagle, whether live or dead. You may be required to transfer these birds to another facility designated by the Service.

(ii) You must immediately notify the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement Office if you have reason to believe a bird has been poisoned, electrocuted, shot, or otherwise subjected to criminal activity. Contact information for your local Service Law Enforcement office is listed on your permit, or you can obtain it on the Internet at http://offices.fws.gov.

(iii) If the sickness, injury, or death of any bird is due or likely due to avian virus, or other contagious disease or public health hazard, you must notify and comply with the instructions given by the State or local authority that is responsible for tracking the suspected disease or hazard in your location, if that agency is currently collecting such information from the public.

(6) You must maintain a working relationship with a licensed veterinarian. If your working relationship with your original cooperating veterinarian is dissolved, you must establish an agreement within 30 days with another licensed veterinarian to provide medical services to the birds in your care, and furnish a copy of this agreement to the issuing office.

(7) Recordkeeping. You must maintain complete and accurate records of all migratory birds that you receive, including for each bird the date received, type of injury or illness, disposition, and date of disposition. You must retain these records for 5 years following the end of the calendar year covered by the records.

(8) Annual report. You must submit an annual report that includes the information required by paragraph (e)(7) for the preceding calendar year to your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office by the date required on your permit. You may complete FWS Form 3-202-4, or submit your annual report from a database you maintain, provided your report contains all, and only, the information required by Form 3-202-4.

(9) At the discretion of the Regional Director, we may stipulate on the face of your permit additional conditions compatible with the permit conditions set forth in this section, to place limits on numbers and/or types of birds you may possess under your permit, to stipulate authorized location(s) for your rehabilitation activities, or otherwise specify permitted activities, based on your experience and facilities.

(f) How does this permit apply to oil and hazardous waste spills? Prior to entering the location of an oil or hazardous material spill, you must obtain authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Field Response Coordinator or other designated Service representative and obtain permission from the On-Scene Coordinator. All activities within the location of the spill are subject to the authority of the On-Scene Coordinator. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the disposition of all migratory birds, dead or alive.

(1) Permit provisions in oil or hazardous material spills. (i) In addition to the rehabilitation permit provisions set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, when under the authority of the designated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative this permit further authorizes you to temporarily possess healthy, unaffected birds for the purpose of removing them from imminent danger.

(ii) This permit does not authorize salvage of dead migratory birds. When dead migratory birds are discovered, a Service law enforcement officer must be notified immediately in order to coordinate the handling and collection of evidence. Contact information for your local Service Law Enforcement office is listed on your permit and on the Internet at http://offices.fws.gov. The designated Service representative will have direct control and responsibility over all live migratory birds, and will coordinate the collection, storage, and handling of any dead migratory birds with the Service's Division of Law Enforcement.

(iii) You must notify your issuing Migratory Bird Permit Office of any migratory birds in your possession within 24 hours of removing such birds from the area.

(2) Conditions specific to oil and hazardous waste spills—(i) Facilities. Facilities used at the scene of oil or hazardous waste spills may be temporary and/or mobile, and may provide less space and protection from noise and disturbance than facilities authorized under paragraph (e)(1) of this section. Such facilities should conform as closely as possible with the facility specifications contained in the Service policy titled Best Practices for Migratory Bird Care During Oil Spill Response. 2

2 You can obtain copies of this document by writing to the Division of Environmental Review at the address provided at 50 CFR 2.1(b).

(ii) Subpermittees. In cases of oil and hazardous waste spills, persons who assist with cleaning or treating migratory birds at the on-scene facility will not be required to have a rehabilitation permit or be a subpermittee; however, volunteers must be trained in rescue protocol for migratory birds affected by oil and hazardous waste spills. A permit (or subpermittee designation) is required to perform extended rehabilitation of such birds, after initial cleaning and treating, at a subsequent location.

(g) Will I also need a permit from the State in which I live? If your State requires a license, permit, or other authorization to rehabilitate migratory birds, your Federal migratory bird rehabilitation permit will not be valid if you do not also possess and adhere to the terms of the required State authorization, in addition to the Federal permit. Nothing in this section prevents a State from making and enforcing laws or regulations consistent with this section that are more restrictive or give further protection to migratory birds.

(h) How long is a migratory bird rehabilitation permit valid? Your rehabilitation permit will expire on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked. No rehabilitation permit will have a term exceeding 5 years.

[68 FR 61137, Oct. 27, 2003, as amended at 73 FR 59477, Oct. 8, 2008; 75 FR 29918, May 28, 2010; 79 FR 43965, July 29, 2014. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Background—(1) The legal basis for regulating falconry. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits any person from taking, possessing, purchasing, bartering, selling, or offering to purchase, barter, or sell, among other things, raptors (birds of prey) listed in § 10.13 of this subchapter unless the activities are allowed by Federal permit issued under this part and part 13 of this chapter, or as permitted by regulations in this part.

(i) This section covers all Falconiformes (vultures, kites, eagles, hawks, caracaras, and falcons) and all Strigiformes (owls) listed in § 10.13 of this subchapter (“native” raptors), and applies to any person who possesses one or more wild-caught, captive-bred, or hybrid raptors protected under the MBTA to use in falconry.

(ii) The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d,54. 250) provides for the taking of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from the wild to use in falconry. It specifies that the only golden eagles that may be taken from the wild for falconry are those that would be taken because of depredations on livestock or wildlife (16 U.S.C. 668a).

(2) “Possession” and short-term handling of a falconry raptor. We do not consider short-term handling, such as letting any other person hold or practice flying a raptor you possess under your permit, to be possession for the purposes of this section if you are present and the person is under your supervision.

(3) Regulatory year for governing falconry. For determining possession and take of raptors for falconry, a year is any 12-month period for take defined by the State, tribe, or territory.

(b) Federal approval of State, tribal, and territorial falconry programs—(1) General. (i) A State (including the District of Columbia), tribe, or territory under the jurisdiction of the United States that wishes to allow falconry must establish laws and regulations (hereafter referred to as laws) that meet the standards established in this section. To allow the practice of falconry on tribal lands by tribal members or residents, a tribe may either certify that it has adopted Service-approved State laws if those laws are fully enforceable on tribal lands, or issue its own laws and request our approval.

(ii) State, tribal, or territorial laws may be more restrictive than these Federal standards but may not be less restrictive. For instance, a State, tribe, or territory may choose not to allow possession of some species of raptors otherwise allowed in this section. State, tribal, and territorial laws must be consistent with the terms contained in any convention between the United States and any foreign country for the protection of raptors and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

(2) Reporting. (i) The State, tribe, or territory must work with us to ensure that the electronic 3-186A reporting system (https://epermits.fws.gov/falcp/) for reporting take, transfers, and loss of falconry birds is fully operational for residents of that jurisdiction.

(ii) If you are required to submit a report or other information under this section, you must either enter the required information in the electronic database at https://epermits.fws.gov/falcp/, or at http://www.wildlife.ca.gov/FalconryReporting if you are a resident of California, or submit a paper form 3-186A to your State, tribal, or territorial agency that governs falconry.

(3) Federal approval and terms. If we concur that the regulations and the examination meet the requirements of this section, we will publish a rule in the Federal Register adding the State, tribe, or territory to the list of those approved for allowing the practice of falconry. We will terminate Federal falconry permitting in any State certified under these regulations on January 1st of the calendar year following publication of the rule.

(4) Review of a State, tribal, or territorial falconry program. We may review the administration of an approved State's, tribe's, or territory's falconry program if complaints from the public or law enforcement investigations indicate the need for a review or for revisions to the State's, tribe's, or territory's laws, or falconry examination. The review may involve, but is not limited to:

(i) Inspecting falconers' facilities to ensure that the facilities standards in this section are met;

(ii) Processing time of applications;

(iii) Reviewing approved applications for completeness;

(iv) Determining that permits issued are appropriate for the experience of the applicants;

(v) Determining the adequacy of the State's, tribe's, or territory's recordkeeping for the needs of State, tribal, or territorial and Federal law enforcement;

(vi) Reviewing laws to determine if they meet the requirements of this section; and

(vii) Reviewing a revised falconry examination to determine if it meets the requirements of this section.

(5) Suspension of a State's, tribe's, or territory's certification. (i) We may propose to suspend, and may suspend, the approval of a State, tribal, or territorial falconry program in accordance with the procedures in paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section if we determine that the State, tribe, or territory has deficiencies in one or more items in paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(ii) When we propose to suspend approval of a State, tribal, or territorial falconry program, we will first provide written notice to the State, tribe, or territory. Any such notice will include the basis for our determination that suspension is warranted. We will identify the actions that would, if implemented by the State, tribe, or territory, allow us to cancel the proposed suspension of approval.

(iii) The State, tribe, or territory will have 2 years from the date of our notification to correct the deficiencies. The State, tribe, or territory must respond in writing within that time to the proposed suspension, specifying the reasons why the certification should not be suspended. We will give due consideration to any objections and evidence raised by the State, tribe, or territory.

(iv) If we continue to believe that suspension is warranted, we will provide written notice of suspension, including the rationale for suspension, and respond to any objections to the suspension.

(A) The suspension of approval of the State's, tribe's, or territory's falconry program will be effective 180 days from the date of the Service's final notification of suspension.

(B) The State, tribe, or territory must then inform all falconry applicants and permittees of the impending cancellation of permitting.

(v) We will honor all falconry permits in that jurisdiction for 2 years from the date of our final notification of suspension of certification. At the end of the 2 years, you must transfer all raptors (including captive-bred raptors) held under permits from the State, tribal, or territorial falconry program to other falconry permittees in other States or territories, or to Federal raptor propagation or education permittees, institutions exempt from the Federal permit requirements, or permanently released to the wild (if it is allowed by the State, tribe, or territory and by this section), or euthanized. However, you may not permanently release hybrid raptors to the wild.

(6) Appeal of a decision to suspend State, tribal, or territorial certification. The State, tribe, or territory may appeal a decision to suspend certification to the Director within 180 days of the date of the Director's decision. The Director will then respond to the State, tribe, or territory within 180 days of receipt of the appeal. The State, tribe, or territory certification will remain effective until the Director makes a final decision on the appeal.

(7) Recertification of compliance with this section if a State's, tribe's, or territory's falconry permitting authority has been suspended. If a State, tribe, or territory has had its falconry permitting authority suspended but has corrected its problems, it must submit a request for approval of its permitting activities. We will then either recertify the program, or report in writing why we do not believe that earlier permitting problems have been rectified.

(8) Authority to suspend or revoke a falconry permit issued by a State, tribe, or territory. Suspension or revocation of a falconry permit is the responsibility of the State, tribe, or territory. However, compliance with all provisions of these regulations remains under the purview of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

(9) Standards in effect in your place of residence. If you live in any State except Hawaii, you may practice falconry as permitted in these regulations if you have a falconry permit from your State, tribe, or territory.

(c) Practicing falconry— (1) Permits and inspections to practice falconry. You must have a valid falconry permit from the State, tribe, or territory in which you reside (or the tribe on whose land you wish to practice falconry if you reside on tribal land or are a tribal member), to take, possess, or transport raptors for falconry, or to hunt with them. Depending on the game you hunt as a falconer and where you hunt, you also may need a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (a “Duck Stamp”), and State, tribal, or territorial hunting permits or stamps to hunt with a raptor.

(i) Some State, tribal, territorial, or local governments may require you to have additional permits or licenses to practice falconry or to take a raptor from the wild.

(ii) You must comply with all regulations governing migratory bird permitting.

(iii) If you reside for more than 120 consecutive days in a State or territory or on tribal lands other than the location of your primary residence, your falconry facilities in the second location must meet the standards in paragraph (d) of this section and of the corresponding State, tribal, or territorial lands, and your facilities must be listed on your falconry permit.

(2) Classes of permit to practice falconry. We recognize Apprentice, General, and Master Falconer levels. Each State, tribe, or territory may have any number of permit levels, but the standards for them must be at least as restrictive as these Federal standards. Your State, tribe, or territory may have more restrictive laws or regulations governing falconry.

(i) Requirements and possession options for an Apprentice Falconer.

(A) You must be at least 12 years of age.

(B) If you are under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must sign your application and is legally responsible for your activities.

(C) You must have a letter from a Master Falconer or a General Falconer with a valid State, tribal, or territorial falconry permit who is at least 18 years old and has at least 2 years experience at the General Falconer level, stating that he or she will assist you, as necessary, in:

(1) Learning about the husbandry and training of raptors held for falconry;

(2) Learning and about relevant wildlife laws and regulations, and

(3) Deciding what species of raptor is appropriate for you to possess while an Apprentice.

(D) Regardless of the number of State, tribal, or territorial falconry permits you have, you may possess no more than one raptor for use in falconry.

(E) You may take raptors less than 1 year old, except nestlings, from the wild during any period or periods specified by the State, tribe, or territory. You may take any raptor species from the wild except a federally listed threatened or endangered species or the following species: Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus), Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus), elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi), and short-eared owl (Asio flammeus).

(F) You may possess a raptor of any Falconiform or Strigiform species, including wild, captive-bred, or hybrid individuals, except a federally listed threatened or endangered species, a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), a Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), or a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).

(G) You do not need to capture a wild raptor yourself; it can be transferred to you by another falconry permittee.

(H) You may not possess a raptor taken from the wild as a nestling.

(I) You may not possess a bird that is imprinted on humans.

(J) Your raptor facilities must pass inspection by your State, tribe, or territory before you may be granted a permit.

(ii) Requirements and possession options for a General Falconer.

(A) You must be at least 16 years of age.

(B) If you are 16 or 17 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must sign your application and must be legally responsible for your activities.

(C) You must submit a document from a General Falconer or Master Falconer (preferably your sponsor) to your State, tribal, or territorial wildlife agency stating that you have practiced falconry with raptor(s) at the Apprentice Falconer level or equivalent for at least 2 years, including maintaining, training, flying, and hunting the raptor(s) for least 4 months in each year. That practice may include capture and release of falconry raptors.

(D) You may not substitute any falconry school program or education to shorten the period of 2 years at the Apprentice level.

(E) You may take and possess any species of Falconiform or Strigiform except a golden eagle, a bald eagle, a white-tailed eagle, or a Steller's sea-eagle. You may use captive-bred individuals and hybrids of the species you are allowed to possess.

(F) Regardless of the number of State, tribal, or territorial falconry permits you have, you may possess no more than 3 raptors.

(iii) Requirements and possession options for a Master Falconer.

(A) You must have practiced falconry with your own raptor(s) at the General Falconer level for at least 5 years.

(B) You may take and possess any species of Falconiform or Strigiform except a bald eagle. However, you may take and possess a golden eagle, a white-tailed eagle, or a Steller's sea eagle only if you meet the qualifications set forth under paragraph (c)(2)(iv).

(C) You may possess any captive-bred individuals or hybrids of species your State, tribe, or territory allows you to possess for use in falconry.

(D) Regardless of the number of State, tribal, or territorial falconry permits you have, you may possess no more than 5 wild raptors, including golden eagles.

(E) You may possess any number of captive-bred raptors. However, you must train them in the pursuit of wild game and use them in hunting.

(iv) If you meet the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section for falconry you may possess up to 3 eagles of the following species: golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, or Steller's sea eagle.

(A) Your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry must document the following before approving your request to possess an eagle to use in falconry:

(1) Your experience in handling large raptors, including information about the species you have handled and the type and duration of the activity in which you gained the experience.

(2) At least two letters of reference from people with experience handling and/or flying large raptors such as eagles, ferruginous hawks, goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), or great horned owls (Bubo virginianus). Each must contain a concise history of the author's experience with large raptors, which can include, but is not limited to, handling of raptors held by zoos, rehabilitating large raptors, or scientific studies involving large raptors. Each letter must also assess your ability to care for eagles and fly them in falconry.

(B) A golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, or Steller's sea-eagle you hold will count as one of the raptors you are allowed to possess for use in falconry.

(3) Taking a test to qualify for a falconry permit. Before you are issued an Apprentice permit you must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on an examination administered by the State, tribe, or territory under which you wish to obtain a falconry permit. The examination must cover care and handling of falconry raptors, Federal, State or territorial, and tribal (if applicable) laws and regulations relevant to falconry, and other appropriate subject matter. Contact your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry for information about permits and taking the test.

(4) Reinstatement of a lapsed falconry permit if your State, tribe, or territory allows it. (i) If your permit has lapsed for fewer than 5 years, it may be reinstated at the level you held previously if you have proof of your certification at that level.

(ii) If your permit has lapsed for 5 years or longer, you must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on an examination administered by the State, tribe, or territory in which you wish to obtain a falconry permit. If you pass the exam, your permit may be reinstated at the level you previously held. Your facilities must pass State, tribal, or territorial inspection before you may possess a falconry bird.

(5) Permit to practice falconry at an appropriate level if you have experience in falconry but are a new resident in the United States. You may qualify for the falconry permit appropriate for your experience. To demonstrate your knowledge of U.S. falconry laws and regulations, you must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on the supervised examination for falconers administered by the State, tribe, or territory under which you wish to obtain a falconry permit. If you pass the test, the State, tribe, or territory will decide for which level of falconry permit you are qualified, consistent with the class requirements in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. To do so, the State, tribe, or territory should base its decision on your documentation of your experience. Your falconry facilities must meet the standards in paragraph (d)(1) of this section before you may keep a raptor to use in falconry.

(6) Banding or tagging raptors used in falconry. (i) If you take a goshawk, Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), or gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) from the wild or acquire one from another falconer or a rehabilitator, and if the raptor is not already banded, you must band it with a permanent, nonreusable, numbered U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leg band that your State, tribal, or territorial agency will supply. If you wish, you may purchase and implant an ISO (International Organization for Standardization)-compliant (134.2 kHz) microchip in addition to the band. You must report the band number when you report your acquisition of the bird. Contact your State, tribal, or territorial agency for information on obtaining and disposing of bands. Within 10 days from the day on which you take the raptor from the wild, you must report take of the bird by submitting the required information (including the band number) using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section. You may request an appropriate band from your State, tribal, or territorial agency in advance of any effort to capture a raptor. Your State, tribe, or territory may require that you band other species taken from the wild.

(ii) A raptor bred in captivity must be banded with a seamless metal band (see § 21.85). If you must remove a seamless band or if it is lost, within 10 days from the day you remove or note the loss of the band, you must report it and request a replacement U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service nonreusable band from your State, tribe, or territory. You must submit the required information using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section. You must replace a seamless band that is removed or lost. You may implant an ISO-compliant (134.2 kHz) microchip in a falconry raptor in addition to the seamless band.

(iii) If the band must be removed or is lost from a raptor in your possession, you must report the loss of the band within 5 days, and you must then do at least one of the following:

(A) Request a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service nonreusable band from your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry. You must submit the required information within 10 days of rebanding the raptor using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(B) Purchase and implant an ISO-compliant (134.2 kHz) microchip in the bird and report the microchip information using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(iv) You must not alter, deface, or counterfeit a band. You may remove the rear tab on a band on a raptor you take from the wild, and you may smooth any imperfect surface if you do not affect the integrity of the band or the numbering on it.

(v) If you document health or injury problems for a raptor you possess that are caused by the band, the State, tribe, or territory may provide an exemption to the requirement for that raptor. In that case, you must keep a copy of the exemption paperwork with you when transporting or flying the raptor. If your bird is a wild goshawk, Harris's hawk, peregrine falcon, or gyrfalcon, you must replace the band with an ISO-compliant microchip that we will supply to your State, tribe, or territory. We will not provide a microchip for a wild goshawk, Harris's hawk, peregrine falcon, or gyrfalcon unless you have demonstrated that a band causes an injury or a health problem for the bird.

(vi) You may not band a raptor removed from the wild with a seamless numbered band.

(7) Carrying your permit(s) when conducting falconry activities. You must have your permit(s) or legible copies of them in your immediate possession if you are not at the location of your falconry facilities and you are trapping, transporting, working with, or flying your falconry raptor(s).

(8) Transporting a falconry raptor or raptors to other States or territories. If you have a valid falconry permit, you may possess and transport for falconry purposes a lawfully possessed raptor through other States or territories. However, any State, tribe, or territory may further regulate such transport.

(d) Facilities and care requirements—(1) Facilities you must have and maintain. You must keep all raptors you hold under your falconry permit in humane and healthful conditions.

(i) Whether they are indoors (a “mews”) or outdoors (a “weathering area”), your raptor facilities must protect raptors in them from the environment, predators, and domestic animals. You are responsible for the maintenance and security (protection from predators) of raptors you possess under your permit.

(ii) You must have raptor housing facilities approved by your State, tribe, or territory before you may obtain a bird to use in falconry. Your State, tribe, or territory may require that you have both indoor and outdoor facilities. A representative of your agency that regulates falconry, or its designee, must certify that your facilities and equipment meet the following standards:

(A) For housing raptors indoors or outdoors, the facility must protect raptors from predators and domestic animals.

(1) The facility must have a suitable perch for each raptor, at least one opening for sunlight, and must provide a healthy environment for raptors inside.

(2) You may house untethered raptors together if they are compatible with each other.

(3) Each raptor must have an area large enough to allow it to fly if it is untethered or, if tethered, to fully extend its wings or bate (attempt to fly while tethered) without damaging its feathers or contacting other raptors.

(4) Each falconry bird must have access to a pan of clean water unless weather conditions, the perch type used, or some other factor makes access to a water pan unsafe for the raptor.

(B) An indoor facility must be large enough to allow easy access for the care and feeding of raptors kept there.

(1) If raptors you house in this indoor facility are not tethered, all walls that are not solid must be protected on the inside. Suitable materials may include vertical bars spaced narrower than the width of the body of the smallest raptor you house in the enclosure. However, heavy-duty netting or other such materials may be used to cover the walls or roof of the enclosure.

(2) Acceptable indoor facilities include shelf perch enclosures where raptors are tethered side by side. Other innovative housing systems are acceptable if they provide the enclosed raptors with protection and allow them to maintain healthy feathers.

(3) An eyas raptor may be kept in any suitable container or enclosure until it is capable of flight.

(C) You may keep a falconry raptor or raptors inside your place of residence if you provide a suitable perch or perches. If you house your raptor(s) inside your home, you do not need to modify windows or other openings of the structure. Raptors kept in your home must be tethered when they are not being moved into or out of the location in which they are kept.

(D) An outdoor facility must be totally enclosed, and may be made of heavy-gauge wire, heavy-duty plastic mesh, slats, pipe, wood, or other suitable material.

(1) The facility must be covered and have at least a covered perch to protect a raptor held in it from predators and weather.

(2) The facility must be large enough to insure that the birds cannot strike the enclosure when flying from the perch.

(3) New types of housing facilities and/or husbandry practices may be used if they satisfy the requirements above and are approved by the State, tribal, or territorial authority regulating falconry.

(iii) You may keep falconry raptors outside in the open if they are under watch, such as by you or a family member at any location or, for example, by a designated individual in a weathering yard at a falconry meet.

(iv) You must inform your State, tribal, or territorial agency within 5 business days if you change the location of your facilities.

(2) Falconry facilities on property you do not own—(i) Your falconry facilities may be on property owned by another person where you reside, or at a different location. Regardless of location, the facilities must meet the standards in paragraph (d)(1) of this section and those of the State, tribe, or territory from which you have a falconry permit.

(ii) You must submit to your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry a signed and dated statement showing that you agree that the falconry facilities and raptors may be inspected without advance notice by State, tribal (if applicable), or territorial authorities at any reasonable time of day, but you must be present. If your facilities are not on property that you own, you must submit a signed and dated statement showing that the property owner agrees that the falconry facilities and raptors may be inspected by State, tribal (if applicable), or territorial authorities at any reasonable time of day in the presence of the property owner; except that the authorities may not enter the facilities or disturb the raptors unless you are present.

(3) Equipment you must have and maintain. You must have jesses or the materials and equipment to make them, leash and swivel, bath container, and appropriate scales or balances for weighing raptor(s) you possess.

(4) Facilities you must have for a raptor when you are transporting it, using it for hunting, or are away from your home with it. You must be sure that the bird has a suitable perch and is protected from extreme temperatures, wind, and excessive disturbance. A “giant hood” or similar container is acceptable for transporting or housing a raptor when you are away from the permanent facility where it is housed.

(5) Temporarily housing a raptor outside of your permanent facilities when you are not transporting it or using it for hunting. You may house a raptor in temporary facilities for no more than 120 consecutive calendar days if the bird has a suitable perch and is protected from predators, domestic animals, extreme temperatures, wind, and excessive disturbance.

(6) Care of falconry raptors by another falconry permittee. Another falconry permittee may care for a raptor or raptors for you at your facilities or at that person's facilities for up to 120 consecutive calendar days. The other person must have a signed and dated statement from you authorizing the temporary possession, plus a copy of FWS form 3-186A that shows that you are the possessor of each of the raptors. The statement must include information about the time period for which he or she will keep the raptor(s), and about what he or she is allowed to do with it or them.

(i) Your raptor(s) will remain on your falconry permit, and will not be counted against the possession limit of the person caring for your raptors.

(ii) If the person caring for your raptor(s) holds the appropriate level falconry permit, he or she may fly your raptor(s) in whatever way you authorize, including hunting.

(iii) This care of your raptors may be extended indefinitely in extenuating circumstances, such as illness, military service, or for a family emergency. The State, tribe, or territory may consider such instances on a case-by-case basis.

(7) Care of falconry raptors by someone who does not have a falconry permit. Another person may care for falconry birds you possess at your facilities for up to 45 consecutive calendar days.

(i) The raptor(s) will remain on your falconry permit.

(ii) The raptors must remain in your facilities.

(iii) This care may be extended indefinitely in extenuating circumstances, such as illness, military service, or for a family emergency.

(iv) The person(s) caring for your raptors may not fly them for any reason.

(8) Residence part of the year in another jurisdiction. (i) The State, tribe, or territory in which you live part-time may require that you obtain its falconry permit. You must contact the State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry to determine whether you need a permit.

(ii) If you live for more than 120 consecutive days in a State or territory or on tribal lands other than where you maintain your primary residence, your falconry facilities in the second State must meet the standards in this section.

(9) Inspections. Falconry equipment and records may be inspected in the presence of the permittee during business hours on any day of the week by State, tribal, or territorial officials.

(e) Taking, possessing, and transporting raptors for falconry—(1) Raptor species you may take from the wild to use for falconry. (i) You may not intentionally capture a raptor species that your classification as a falconer does not allow you to possess for falconry. If you capture a bird you are not allowed to possess, you must release it immediately.

(ii) On some tribal lands and in some States there may be State, tribal, or Federal restrictions on the take or use of these species, and you may need a tribal or State permit or permits to capture a bird.

(iii) State, tribal, or territorial regulations on take may be more restrictive than those in this section.

(iv) Take of any species must be in compliance with these regulations.

(v) If you are a Master Falconer and your State, tribe, or territory allows you to possess golden eagles, in any year you may take up to two golden eagles from the wild and only in a livestock depredation area during the time the depredation area and associated depredation permit or depredation control order are in effect. A livestock depredation area is declared by USDA Wildlife Services and permitted under § 22.100, or upon the request of a State governor and authorized by the Service Director pursuant to §§ 22.120 and 22.122.

(2) How and when you may take raptors from the wild to use in falconry. You may take no more than two raptors from the wild each year to use in falconry.

(i) If you transfer a bird you take from the wild to another permittee in the same year in which you capture it, the bird will count as one of the raptors you are allowed to take from the wild that year; it will not count as a capture by the recipient, though it will always be considered a wild bird.

(ii) If you are a General or Master Falconer, you may remove nestlings from a nest or aerie in accordance with tribal (if applicable), State, territorial, and Federal restrictions.

(iii) You may not take raptors at any time or in any manner that violates any law of the State, tribe, or territory on whose land you are trapping.

(iv) If you are responsible for reporting take of a raptor from the wild, use one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section. You must do this at your first opportunity to do so, but no later than 10 days after the capture of the bird.

(v) If you are present at the capture site, even if another person captures the bird for you, you are considered the person who removes the bird from the wild. You are responsible for filing a 3-186A form reporting take of the bird from the wild. This would occur, for example, if another person climbs a tree or rappells down a cliff and takes a nestling for you and gives it to you at the tree or cliff.

(vi) If you are not at the immediate location where the bird is taken from the wild, the person who removes the bird from the wild must be a General or Master Falconer, and must report take of the bird. If that person then transfers the bird to you, you must both file 3-186A forms reporting the transaction at your first opportunity to do so, but no later than 10 days after the transfer. The bird will count as one of the two raptors the person who took it from the wild is allowed to capture in any year. The bird will not count as a bird you took from the wild. The person who takes the bird from the wild must report the take even if he or she promptly transfers the bird to you.

(vii) If you have a long-term or permanent physical impairment that prevents you from attending the capture of a species you can use for falconry, a General or Master Falconer may capture a bird for you. You are then responsible for filing a 3-186A form reporting take of the bird from the wild, and the bird will count against the take of wild raptors that you are allowed in any year.

(viii) You must promptly release any bird you capture unintentionally.

(3) Other restrictions on taking raptors from the wild for falconry. (i) If you are a General or Master Falconer, you may take only raptors less than 1 year of age from the wild during any period or periods specified by the State, tribe, or territory. However, you may take an American kestrel or great horned owl of any age from the wild during any period or periods specified by the State, tribe, or territory.

(ii) If you are a Master Falconer authorized to possess golden eagles for use in falconry, you may capture a golden eagle in a livestock or wildlife depredation area during the time the depredation area and associated depredation permit or depredation control order are in effect.

(A) You may capture an immature or subadult golden eagle.

(B) You may take a nestling from its nest in a livestock depredation area if a biologist representing the agency responsible for declaring the depredation area has determined that the adult eagle is preying on livestock or wildlife.

(C) You may take a nesting adult golden eagle only if a biologist representing the agency responsible for declaring the depredation area has determined that the adult eagle is preying on livestock or wildlife and that any nestling of the adult will be taken by a falconer authorized to possess it or by the biologist and transferred to an individual authorized to possess it.

(D) You must determine the locations of the livestock or wildlife depredation areas declared by USDA Wildlife Services, or published in the Federal Register by the Service in response to a State governor's request. We will not notify you about them.

(E) Before you begin any trapping activities, you must inform our regional Law Enforcement office of your capture plans. You must notify the office in person, in writing, or via facsimile or email at least 3 business days before you start trapping. You may send an email with your trapping plans to [email protected], or you may deliver your trapping plans in person or by mail to the Law Enforcement office in your region at the applicable street address provided at 50 CFR 2.2. Telephone and fax numbers are as follows:

(F) You also must meet all requirements of the State or territory in which you plan to trap, or the tribe on whose lands you plan to trap.

(G) You must have permission from the landowner to capture an eagle; or if you wish to capture one on public land, the responsible agency must allow it.

(iii) You may recapture a falconry bird you have lost at any time. We do not consider recapture of a wild bird to be taking a bird from the wild.

(iv) You may recapture a raptor wearing falconry equipment or a captive-bred bird at any time - even if you are not allowed to possess the species. The bird will not count against your possession limit, nor will its take from the wild count against your limit. You must report your recapture of the bird to your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry no more than 5 working days after the recapture. You must return a recaptured falconry bird to the person who lost it, if that person may legally possess it. Disposition of a bird whose legal possession cannot be determined will be at the discretion of the State, tribe, or territory.

(v) You may take any raptor that you are authorized to possess from the wild if the bird is banded with a Federal Bird Banding Laboratory aluminum band, except that you may not take a banded peregrine falcon from the wild.

(A) If a raptor (including a peregrine falcon) you capture is marked with a seamless metal band, a transmitter, or any other item identifying it as a falconry bird, you must report your capture of the bird to your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry no more than 5 working days after the capture. You must return a recaptured falconry bird to the person who lost it. If that person cannot possess the bird or does not wish to possess it, you may keep it. Otherwise, disposition of a bird whose legal possession cannot be determined will be at the discretion of the State, tribe, or territory. While you keep a bird for return to the person who lost it, the bird will not count against your possession limit or your limit on take of raptors from the wild if you have reported possessing the bird to your State, tribal, or territorial falconry permit office.

(B) If you capture a peregrine falcon that has a research band (such as a colored band with alphanumeric codes) or a research marking attached to it, you must immediately release the bird, except that if the falcon has a transmitter attached to it, you are authorized to possess the bird up to 30 days if you wish to contact the researcher to determine if he or she wishes to replace the transmitter or its batteries. If the researcher wishes to do so, or to have the transmitter removed, the researcher or his or her designee can make the change or allow you to do so before you release the bird. If the researcher does not wish to keep the transmitter on the falcon, you may keep the bird if you captured it in circumstances in which capture of wild peregrines is allowed.

(C) If a raptor you capture has any other band, research marking, or transmitter attached to it, you must promptly report the band numbers and all other relevant information to the Federal Bird Banding Laboratory at 1-800-327-2263.

(1) You may contact the researcher and determine if he or she wishes to replace a transmitter attached to a bird you capture. If so, you are authorized to possess the bird up to 30 days until the researcher or his or her designee does so, or until you can replace it yourself. Disposition of the bird will be at the discretion of the researcher and your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry.

(2) If you possess such a bird temporarily, it will not count against your possession limit for falconry raptors.

(vi) You must leave at least one young from any nest or aerie from which you take a nestling.

(vii) If you are an Apprentice Falconer, you may not take a nestling from the wild.

(viii) If you are a Master Falconer with a permit to do so, you may take, transport, or possess up to three eagles, including golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, or Steller's sea-eagles, subject to the requirements in paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section and § 22.70 of this part. A golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, or Steller's sea-eagle you possess counts as a bird to be included under your possession limit.

(ix) If you are a General or Master Falconer, you may take no more than one bird of a threatened species from the wild each year if the regulations in part 17 of this subchapter allow it and if you obtain a Federal endangered species permit to do so before you take the bird. You also may need a State, tribal, or territorial endangered species permit to take a listed species.

(4) Take of a species or subspecies that was recently removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife to use in falconry. We must first publish a management plan for the species. If take is allowed in the management plan, you may do so in accordance with the provisions for take in the plan.

(5) Raptors injured due to falconer trapping efforts. You have two options for dealing with a bird injured by your trapping efforts. In either case, you are responsible for the costs of care and rehabilitation of the bird.

(i) You may put the bird on your falconry permit. You must report take of the bird using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section at your first opportunity to do so, but no more than 10 days after capture of the bird. You must then have the bird treated by a veterinarian or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. The bird will count against your possession limit.

(ii) You may give the bird directly to a veterinarian, or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator, or an appropriate wildlife agency employee. If you do so, it will not count against your allowed take or the number of raptors you may possess.

(6) Acquisition, transfer, loss, or rebanding of a raptor. (i) If you acquire a raptor; transfer, reband, or microchip a raptor; if a raptor you possess is stolen; if you lose a raptor to the wild and you do not recover it within 30 days; or if a bird you possess for falconry dies; you must report the change within 10 days using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(ii) If a raptor you possess is stolen, you must report the theft to your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry and to your Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Law Enforcement office (see paragraph (e)(3)(ii)(E) of this section) within 10 days of the theft of the bird.

(iii) You must keep copies of all electronic database submissions documenting take, transfer, loss, rebanding or microchipping of each falconry raptor until 5 years after you have transferred or lost the bird, or it has died.

(7) Acquiring a bird for falconry from a permitted rehabilitator. You may acquire a raptor of any age of a species that you are permitted to possess directly from a rehabilitator. Transfer to you is at the discretion of the rehabilitator.

(i) If you acquire a bird from a rehabilitator, within 10 days of the transaction you must report it using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(ii) If you acquire a bird from a rehabilitator, it will count as one of the raptors you are allowed to take from the wild that year.

(8) Flying a hybrid raptor in falconry. When flown free, a hybrid raptor must have attached at least two functioning radio transmitters to help you to locate the bird.

(9) Releasing a falconry bird to the wild. You must follow all applicable State or territorial and Federal laws and regulations before releasing a falconry bird to the wild.

(i) If the raptor you wish to release is not native to the State or territory, or is a hybrid of any kind, you may not permanently release the bird to the wild. You may transfer it to another falconry permittee.

(ii) If the species you wish to release is native to the State or territory and is captive-bred, you may not release the bird to the wild unless you have permission from the State, tribe, or territory to release the bird. If you are permitted to do so, you must hack the bird (allow it to adjust) to the wild at an appropriate time of year and an appropriate location. You must remove its falconry band (if it has one) and report release of the bird by submitting the required information using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(iii) If the species you wish to release is native to the State and was taken from the wild, you may release the bird only at an appropriate time of year and an appropriate location. You must remove its falconry band and report release of the bird by submitting the required information using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(10) Restrictions on transfers of falconry raptors from other falconers. We do not restrict the number of wild-caught or captive-bred raptors transferred to you, but you may not exceed your possession limit.

(f) Additional information on the practice of falconry—(1) Raptors removed from the wild for falconry are always considered “wild” raptors. No matter how long such a bird is held in captivity or whether it is transferred to another permittee or permit type, it is always considered a “wild” bird. However, it is considered to be taken from the wild only by the person who originally captured it. We do not consider the raptor to be taken from the wild by any subsequent permittee to whom it is legally transferred.

(2) “Hacking” of falconry raptors. Hacking (temporary release to the wild) is an approved method for falconers to condition raptors for falconry. If you are a General Falconer or a Master Falconer, you may hack a falconry raptor or raptors.

(i) You may need permission from your State, tribal, or territorial wildlife agency to hack a bird you possess for falconry. Check with your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry to determine if hacking is allowed.

(ii) Any bird you are hacking counts against your possession limit and must be a species you are authorized to possess.

(iii) Any hybrid you hack must have two attached functioning radio transmitters during hacking.

(iv) You may not hack a falconry bird near a nesting area of a Federally threatened or endangered bird species or in any other location where the raptor is likely to harm a Federally listed threatened or endangered animal species that might be disturbed or taken by your falconry bird. You should contact your State or territorial wildlife agency before hacking a falconry bird to ensure that this does not occur. You can contact the State Fish and Wildlife Service office in your State or territory for information on Federally-listed species.

(3) Use of other falconry training or conditioning techniques. You may use other acceptable falconry practices, such as, but not limited to, the use of creance (tethered) flying, lures, balloons, or kites in training or conditioning falconry raptors. You also may fly falconry birds at bird species not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act or at pen-raised animals.

(4) Selling or trading raptors under a falconry permit. (i) If allowed by your State, tribe or territory, you may sell, purchase, or barter, or offer to sell, purchase, or barter captive-bred raptors marked with seamless bands to other permittees who are authorized to possess them.

(ii) You may not purchase, sell, trade, or barter wild raptors. You may only transfer them.

(5) Transfer of wild-caught raptors captured for falconry to another type of permit. Under some circumstances you may transfer a raptor to another permit type if the recipient of the bird (which could be you) possesses the necessary permits for the other activity.

(i) If your State, tribe, or territory allows you to do so, you may transfer a wild-caught falconry bird to a raptor propagation permit after the bird has been used in falconry for at least 2 years (1 year for a sharp-shinned hawk, a Cooper's hawk, a merlin, or an American kestrel). When you transfer the bird, you must provide a copy of the 3-186A form documenting acquisition of the bird by the propagator to the Federal migratory bird permit office that administers the propagation permit.

(ii) You may transfer a wild-caught bird to another permit type in less than 2 years (1 year for a sharp-shinned hawk, a Cooper's hawk, a merlin, or an American kestrel) if the bird has been injured and a veterinarian or permitted wildlife rehabilitator has determined that the bird can no longer be flown for falconry.

(A) Within 10 days of transferring the bird, you must provide a copy of the 3-186A form documenting acquisition of the bird to the Federal migratory bird permit office that administers the other permit type.

(B) When you transfer the bird, you must provide a copy of the certification from the veterinarian or rehabilitator that the bird is not useable in falconry to the Federal migratory bird permits office that administers the other permit type.

(6) Transfer of captive-bred falconry raptors to another type of permit. You may transfer captive-bred falconry raptors if the holder of the other permit type is authorized to possess the bird(s). Within 10 days, you must report the transfer by submitting the required information using one of the methods listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section.

(7) Use of raptors held under a falconry permit in captive propagation. You may use raptors you possess for falconry in captive propagation if you or the person overseeing the propagation has the necessary permit(s) (see § 21.85). You do not need to transfer a bird from your falconry permit if you use it for fewer than 8 months in a year in captive propagation, but you must do so if you permanently transfer the bird for propagation. The bird must then be banded as required in § 21.85.

(8) Use of falconry raptors in conservation education programs. If you are a General or Master Falconer, you may use a bird you possess in conservation education programs presented in public venues.

(i) You do not need a Federal education permit to conduct conservation education activities using a falconry raptor held under a State, tribal, or territorial falconry permit.

(ii) You may present conservation programs as an Apprentice Falconer if you are under the supervision of a General or Master Falconer when you do so.

(iii) You must use the bird primarily for falconry.

(iv) You may charge a fee for presentation of a conservation education program. The fee may not exceed the amount required to recoup your costs.

(v) In conservation education programs, you must provide information about the biology, ecological roles, and conservation needs of raptors and other migratory birds, although not all of these topics must be addressed in every presentation. You may not give presentations that do not address falconry and conservation education.

(vi) You are responsible for all liability associated with conservation education activities you undertake (see 50 CFR 13.50).

(9) Other educational uses of falconry raptors. You may allow photography, filming, or other such uses of falconry raptors to make movies or other sources of information on the practice of falconry or on the biology, ecological roles, and conservation needs of raptors and other migratory birds, though you may not be paid for doing so.

(i) You may not use falconry raptors to make movies, commercials, or in other commercial ventures that are not related to falconry.

(ii) You may not use falconry raptors for commercial entertainment; for advertisements; as a representation of any business, company, corporation, or other organization; or for promotion or endorsement of any products, merchandise, goods, services, meetings, or fairs, with the following exceptions:

(A) You may use a falconry raptor to promote or endorse a nonprofit falconry organization or association.

(B) You may use a falconry raptor to promote or endorse products or endeavors related to falconry, including, but not limited to items such as hoods, telemetry equipment, giant hoods, perches, materials for raptor facilities, falconry training and education materials, and scientific research and publication.

(10) Assisting in rehabilitation of raptors to prepare them for release. If your State, tribe, or territory allows you to do so, and if you are a General or Master Falconer, you may assist a permitted migratory bird rehabilitator to condition raptors in preparation for their release to the wild. You may keep a bird you are helping to rehabilitate in your facilities.

(i) The rehabilitator must provide you with a letter or form that identifies the bird and explains that you are assisting in its rehabilitation.

(ii) You do not need to meet the rehabilitator facility standards. You need only meet the facility standards in this section; your facilities are not subject to inspection for compliance with the standards in § 21.76.

(iii) You do not have to add any raptor you possess for this purpose to your falconry permit; it will remain under the permit of the rehabilitator.

(iv) You must return any such bird that cannot be permanently released to the wild to the rehabilitator for placement within the 180-day timeframe in which the rehabilitator is authorized to possess the bird, unless the issuing office authorizes you to retain the bird for longer than 180 days.

(v) Upon coordination with the rehabilitator, you must release all releaseable raptors to the wild or return them to the rehabilitator for release within the 180-day timeframe in which the rehabilitator is authorized to possess the birds, unless the issuing office authorizes you to retain and condition a bird for longer than 180 days, or unless the rehabilitator transfers the bird to you to hold under your falconry permit.

(11) Using a falconry bird in abatement activities. (i) If you are a Master Falconer, you may conduct abatement activities with a bird or birds you possess for falconry. If you are a General Falconer, you may conduct abatement activities only as a subpermittee of the holder of the abatement permit.

(ii) You may receive payment for providing abatement services if you have a Special Purpose Abatement permit.

(12) Feathers that a falconry bird or birds molts. (i) For imping (replacing a damaged feather with a molted feather), you may possess tail feathers and primary and secondary wing feathers for each species of raptor you possess or previously held for as long as you have a valid falconry permit. You may receive feathers for imping from other permitted falconers, wildlife rehabilitators, or propagators in the United States, and you may give feathers to them. You may not buy, sell, or barter such feathers.

(ii) You may donate feathers from a falconry bird, except golden eagle feathers, to any person or institution with a valid permit to have them, or to anyone exempt from the permit requirement under § 21.12.

(iii) Except for primary or secondary flight feathers or retrices from a golden eagle, you are not required to gather feathers that are molted or otherwise lost by a falconry bird. You may leave the feathers where they fall, store them for imping, or destroy them. However, you must collect molted flight feathers and retrices from a golden eagle. If you choose not to keep them for imping, you must send them to the National Eagle Repository.

(iv) We request that you send all feathers (including body feathers) that you collect from any falconry golden eagle and that you do not need for imping, to the National Eagle Repository at the following address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Eagle Repository, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Building 128, Commerce City, Colorado 80022. The telephone number at the Repository is 303-287-2110.

(v) If your permit expires or is revoked, you must donate the feathers of any species of falconry raptor except a golden eagle to any person or any institution exempt from the permit requirement under § 21.12 or authorized by permit to acquire and possess the feathers. If you do not donate the feathers, you must burn, bury, or otherwise destroy them.

(13) Disposition of carcasses of falconry birds that die. (i) You must send the entire body of a golden eagle you held for falconry, including all feathers, talons, and other parts, to the National Eagle Repository.

(ii) You may donate the body or feathers of any other species of falconry raptor to any person or institution exempt under § 21.12 or authorized by permit to acquire and possess such parts or feathers.

(iii) If the bird was banded or microchipped prior to its death, you may keep the body of any falconry raptor except that of a golden eagle. You may keep the body so that the feathers are available for imping, or you may have the body mounted by a taxidermist. You may use the mount in giving conservation education programs. If the bird was banded, you must leave the band on the body. If the bird has an implanted microchip, you must leave the microchip in place.

(iv) If you do not wish to donate the bird body or feathers or keep it yourself, you must burn, bury, or otherwise destroy it or them within 10 days of the death of the bird or after final examination by a veterinarian to determine cause of death. Carcasses of euthanized raptors could pose a risk of secondary poisoning of eagles and other scavengers. You must take appropriate precautions to avoid such poisonings.

(v) If you do not donate the bird body or feathers or have the body mounted by a taxidermist, you may possess the flight feathers for as long as you have a valid falconry permit. However, you may not buy, sell, or barter the feathers. You must keep the paperwork documenting your acquisition of the bird.

(14) Visitors practicing falconry in the United States. (i) A visitor to the United States may qualify for a temporary falconry permit appropriate for his or her experience.

(A) The permit may be valid for any period specified by the State, tribe, or territory.

(B) To demonstrate knowledge of U.S. falconry laws and regulations, the visitor must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions on the supervised examination for falconers administered by the tribe, State, or territory from which he or she wishes to obtain a temporary falconry permit. If the visitor passes the test, the tribe, State, or territory will decide for what level of temporary permit the person is qualified. The decision should be based on the individual's documentation of his or her experience.

(C) If you hold a temporary falconry permit, you may possess raptors for falconry if you have approved falconry facilities.

(D) A holder of a temporary falconry permit may fly raptors held for falconry by a permitted falconer.

(E) A holder of a temporary falconry permit may not take a bird from the wild to use in falconry.

(ii) For the duration of a permit from a State, tribe, or territory, a visitor may use any bird for falconry that he or she possess legally in his or her country of residence for that purpose, provided that import of that species to the United States is not prohibited, and provided that he or she has met all permitting requirements of his or her country of residence.

(A) A visitor must comply with the provisions in this section, those of the State, tribe or territory where he or she wishes to conduct falconry, and all States through which he or she will travel with the bird.

(B) The visitor may transport registered raptors. He or she may need one or more additional permits to bring a raptor into the United States or to return home with it (see 50 CFR part 14 (importation, exportation, and transportation of wildlife), part 15 (Wild Bird Conservation Act), part 17 (endangered and threatened species), part 21 (migratory bird import and export permits), and part 23 (endangered species convention)).

(C) Unless the visitor has the necessary permit(s) to bring a raptor into the United States and leave it here, he or she must take raptors brought into the country for falconry out of the country when he or she leaves. If a raptor brought into the United States dies or is lost while in this country, the visitor must document the loss before leaving the United States by reporting the loss to the State, tribal, or territorial agency that governs falconry where the bird was lost.

(D) When flown free, any bird brought to this country temporarily must have two attached radio transmitters that will allow the falconer to locate it.

(E) There also may be tribal or State restrictions on nonresidents practicing falconry or importing a raptor or raptors held for falconry.

(15) Taking falconry raptors to another country to use in falconry activities. A permit issued under this section authorizes you to export and then import raptors you legally possess for falconry to another country to use in falconry without an additional migratory bird import/export permit issued under § 21.67.

(i) You must meet any requirements in 50 CFR 14 subpart B.

(ii) You may need one or more additional permits to take a bird from the United States or to return home with it (see 50 CFR part 15 (Wild Bird Conservation Act), part 17 (endangered and threatened species), and part 23 (endangered species convention)).

(iii) Unless you have the necessary permit(s) to permanently export a raptor from the United States, you must bring any raptor you take out of the country for falconry back to the United States when you return. Each raptor must be covered by a CITES certificate of ownership issued under part 23 of this chapter. You must have full documentation of the lawful origin of each raptor (a copy of a propagation report with band number or a 3-186A report), and each must be identifiable with a seamless band or a permanent, nonreusable, numbered Fish and Wildlife Service leg band issued by the Service or an implanted microchip for identification.

(iv) If the raptor dies or is lost, you are not required to bring it back but must report the loss immediately upon your return to the United States in the manner required by the falconry regulations of your State, and any conditions on your CITES certificate.

(16) Permission to capture, fly, or release a falconry bird at any location. You do not need special or written permission for any of these activities on public lands if it is authorized. However, you must comply with all applicable Federal, State, tribal, or territorial laws regarding falconry activities, including hunting. Your falconry permit does not authorize you to capture or release raptors or practice falconry on public lands if it is prohibited on those lands, or on private property, without permission from the landowner or custodian.

(17) Practicing falconry in the vicinity of a Federally listed threatened or endangered animal species. In practicing falconry you must ensure that your activities do not cause the take of Federally listed threatened or endangered wildlife. “Take” under the Endangered Species Act means “to harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct” (Endangered Species Act § 3(18)). Within this definition, “harass” means any act that may injure wildlife by disrupting normal behavior, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering, and harm” means an act that actually kills or injures wildlife (50 CFR 17.3). To obtain information about threatened or endangered species that may occur in your State or on tribal lands where you wish to practice falconry, contact your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry. You can contact your State Fish and Wildlife Service office for information on Federally-listed species.

(18) Trapping a bird for use in falconry in areas used by the northern aplomado falcon. Capture of a northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) is not authorized because it is a violation of the Endangered Species Act. To avoid trapping northern aplomado falcons, you must comply with the following conditions when trapping a bird for use in falconry in the following counties.

(iv) If you are an Apprentice Falconer, you must be accompanied by a General or Master Falconer when trapping in one of these counties.

(v) You may not begin trapping if you observe a northern aplomado falcon in the vicinity of your intended trapping effort.

(vi) You must suspend trapping if a northern aplomado falcon arrives in the vicinity of your trapping effort.

(19) Prey item killed by a falconry bird without your intent, including an animal taken outside of a regular hunting season. (i) You may allow your falconry bird to feed on the animal, but you may not take the animal into your possession.

(ii) You must report take of any federally listed threatened or endangered species to our Ecological Services Field Office for the location in which the take occurred.

(20) Take of bird species for which a depredation order is in place. With a falconry bird, you may take any species listed in § 21.150, § 21.153, or § 21.156 of this subchapter at any time in accordance with the conditions of the applicable depredation order, as long as you are not paid for doing so.

(21) Transfer of falconry raptors if a permittee dies. A surviving spouse, executor, administrator, or other legal representative of a deceased falconry permittee may transfer any bird held by the permittee to another authorized permittee within 90 days of the death of the falconry permittee. After 90 days, disposition of a bird held under the permit is at the discretion of the authority that issued it.

(g) Applying for a falconry permit. If you apply for a falconry permit, you must include the following information plus any other information required by your State, tribe, or territory.

(1) The completed application form from your State, tribal, or territorial agency that regulates falconry permits.

(2) Proof that you have passed the falconry test administered by the State, tribe, or territory where you maintain your legal residence, or proof that you have previously held a falconry permit at the level you seek.

(3) For an Apprentice permit, you must provide the following:

(i) A letter from a General or Master Falconer stating that he or she has agreed to assist you in learning about the husbandry and training of raptors held for falconry and about relevant wildlife laws and regulations, and in deciding what species of raptor is appropriate for you to possess while an Apprentice.

(ii) An original, signed certification that you are particularly familiar with § 10.13 of this subchapter, the list of migratory bird species to which the Migratory Bird Treaty Act applies; part 13 of this subchapter, general permit regulations; part 21 of this subchapter, migratory bird permits; and part 22 of this subchapter, eagle permits. The certification can be incorporated into tribal and State application forms, and must be worded as follows:

I certify that I have read and am familiar with the regulations in title 50, part 13, of the Code of Federal Regulations and the other applicable parts in subchapter B of chapter I of title 50, and that the information I have submitted is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that any false statement herein may subject me to the criminal penalties of 18 U.S.C. 1001.

(4) For an Apprentice or General Falconry permit, a parent or legal guardian must co-sign your application if you are under 18.

(5) For a General Falconer permit:

(i) Information documenting your experience maintaining falconry raptors, including a summary of what species you held as an Apprentice Falconer and how long you possessed each bird, and

(ii) A letter from a General Falconer or Master Falconer (preferably your sponsor) attesting that you have practiced falconry with raptor(s) at the Apprentice Falconer level for at least 2 years, including maintaining, training, flying, and hunting the raptor(s) for at least 4 months in each year.

(6) For a Master Falconer permit, you must attest that you have practiced falconry at the General Falconer level for at least 5 years.

(h) Updating a falconry permit after a move. If you move to a new State or outside the jurisdiction of your tribe or territory and take falconry birds with you, within 30 days you must inform both your former State, tribe, or territory and the permitting authority for your new place of residence of your address change. To obtain a new falconry permit, you must follow the permit application procedures of the authority under which you wish to acquire a new permit. You may keep falconry birds you hold while you apply for a new falconry permit. However, the State, tribe, or territory into which you move may place restrictions on your possession of falconry birds until you meet the residency requirements there.

(i) Restoration of revoked permits. Upon request of the person whose permit has been revoked, the State, tribe, or territory may restore the person's falconry permit at the end of the revocation period.

(j) Information collection requirements. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements contained in this section and assigned OMB Control Number 1018-0022. Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the information collection to the Service's Information Collection Clearance Officer at the address provided at 50 CFR 2.1(b).

(k) Database required of States, tribes, and territories. Each State, tribe, or territory that permits falconry must maintain information in a database. The information will enable enforcement of this section.

(1) The State, tribal, or territorial database must be compatible with the database that we maintain. The State, tribal, or territorial database must contain the following information:

(i) The current address of each person with a falconry permit.

(ii) The classification of each person with a falconry permit - Apprentice Falconer, General Falconer, or Master Falconer.

(iii) The address of the falconry facilities of each person with a falconry permit.

(iv) The Federal falconry identifier number assigned via the 3-186A system to each person with a falconry permit.

(v) Whether each permittee is authorized to possess eagles.

(vi) Information on the status of each person's permit: whether it is active, suspended, or revoked.

(2) Information on each permit granted, including changes in status from Apprentice Falconer to General Falconer or General Falconer to Master Falconer, and moves of falconers or their facilities must be entered into the State's, tribe's, or territory's database within 30 days of the granting of the permit or a falconer's change in status. New additions to the State, tribal, or territorial database must be forwarded to us monthly.

[73 FR 59465, Oct. 8, 2008, as amended at 74 FR 64640, Dec. 8, 2009; 75 FR 931, Jan. 7, 2010; 75 FR 3395, Jan. 21, 2010; 75 FR 81141, Dec. 27, 2010; 76 FR 71912, Nov. 21, 2011; 77 FR 66408, Nov. 5, 2012; 78 FR 35152, June 12, 2013; 78 FR 72832, Dec. 4, 2013; 80 FR 38015, July 2, 2015. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Legal basis for regulating raptor propagation. (1) Among other actions, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.) prohibits any person from capturing from the wild, possessing, purchasing, bartering, selling, or offering to purchase, barter, or sell raptors (vultures, kites, eagles, hawks, caracaras, falcons, and owls) listed in § 10.13 of this chapter unless the activities are allowed by Federal permit issued pursuant to this part and part 13 of this chapter, or as permitted by regulations in this part.

(i) This section covers all “native” raptors (accipitriformes, falconiformes, and strigiformes listed in § 10.13 of this chapter), and applies to any person who possesses one or more wild-caught, captive-bred, or hybrid raptors protected under the MBTA to use in raptor propagation, except that neither bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nor golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) may be propagated under these regulations or any other permit regulation listed in part 21 of this chapter.

(ii) You must have a Federal raptor propagation permit before you may capture from the wild, possess, transport, import, purchase, barter, or offer to sell, purchase, or barter any raptor, raptor egg, or raptor semen for propagation purposes. Your State may require that you also have a State permit.

(2) Other regulations, such as those for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Wild Bird Conservation Act, and State regulations, may affect propagation-related activities. In cases in which more than one set of regulations affect raptor propagation, the most restrictive requirements affecting the activity will apply.

(b) Species available for raptor propagation. If you have a raptor propagation permit, you may attempt to propagate any species of raptor listed in § 10.13 of this chapter, with the following exceptions:

(1) You may not propagate bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) or golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) under a raptor propagation permit or any other permit regulation listed in part 21 of this chapter.

(2) If you are authorized by your Regional Migratory Bird Permit office to do so, you may possess and attempt to propagate threatened or endangered raptor species. See paragraphs (f) and (u) of this section.

(c) Facilities used for raptor propagation. In addition to the general conditions found in part 13 of this chapter, raptor propagation permits are subject to the following additional conditions:

(1) You must maintain any tethered raptor you possess under this permit in accordance with the facilities and standards requirements in § 21.82, unless you obtain a written exception to this requirement from your Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office.

(2) For untethered raptors, your breeding facilities must be soundly constructed and entirely enclosed with wood, wire netting, or other suitable material that provides a safe, healthy environment.

(i) Your facilities must minimize the risk of injury by providing protection from predators, pets, and extreme weather conditions.

(ii) Your facilities must minimize the risk of raptor injuries due to collision with interior or perimeter construction materials and equipment, such as support poles, windows, wire netting, perches, or lights.

(iii) Your facilities must have suitable perches and nesting sites, fresh air ventilation, a source of light, a well-drained floor, and ready access for cleaning. Each bird must have access to a pan of clean water unless weather conditions, the perch type used, or some other factor makes access to a water pan unsafe for the raptor.

(iv) You do not need to house your propagation raptors separately from other raptors you hold. However, you must keep raptors that you are not authorized to propagate separated from those you use in propagation.

(d) Inspection. In the presence of the permittee, Federal or State officials may inspect propagation raptors, facilities, equipment, and records during business hours on any day of the week.

(e) Banding of raptors used for propagation. —(1) Certain species. You must band a goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), or gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) that you take from the wild to use in captive propagation.

(i) You must use a nonreusable band that we provide.

(ii) You may purchase and implant an ISO (International Organization for Standardization)-compliant 134.2 kHz microchip in the raptor in addition to banding it.

(iii) You must report the information on the raptor (including information identifying the microchip, if you implant one, and where it is located) at https://epermits.fws.gov/falcp/ or by submitting a paper FWS Form 3-186A form to your State or tribal agency that governs propagation, if applicable, and to us.

(2) Banding nestlings. Unless a particular nestling is specifically exempted, you must band every captive-bred raptor within 2 weeks of hatching.

(i) You must use a numbered, seamless band that we will provide.

(ii) You must use a band with an inside diameter that is small enough to prevent loss or removal of the band when the raptor is grown without causing serious injury to the raptor or damaging the band's integrity or one-piece construction.

(iii) You may band a nestling with more than one band of different sizes if you cannot determine the proper size when you band the nestling. You must then remove and destroy all but the correctly sized band before the nestling is 5 weeks old.

(iv) You may submit a letter requesting an exemption from the banding requirement for any nestling or fledgling for which the band causes a problem. If you demonstrate that the band itself or the behavior of the raptor in response to the band poses a hazard to the raptor, we may exempt that raptor from the banding requirement. You must destroy the band after you remove it.

(3) You may purchase and implant an ISO-compliant 134.2 kHz microchip in the raptor in addition to a band. You must report information to identify the microchip and where on the raptor the chip is implanted when you report your acquisition of the raptor.

(4) If a captive-bred raptor is not banded with a seamless band, or if you must remove the seamless band from a captive-bred raptor, you must band the bird with a nonreusable band that we provide.

(f) Taking and transferring raptors or raptor eggs from the wild to use in propagation. You may take no more than two raptors or raptor eggs from the wild each year to use in propagation.

(1) The State must authorize you to take the raptor(s) or egg(s) from the wild.

(2) You must comply with all State laws in taking raptor(s) or egg(s) from the wild.

(3) You may take a raptor listed in § 17.11(h) of this chapter as “endangered” or “threatened” from the wild only if you have a permit under part 17 of this chapter (See paragraph (u) of this section.).

(4) You may transfer a raptor taken from the wild for propagation to any other person authorized to possess it, except that you must comply with the prohibitions in § 21.82 on a transfer to a falconer.

(g) Transfer, purchase, sale, or barter of captive-bred raptors, eggs, or semen. (1) You may transfer, sell, or barter a lawfully possessed captive-bred raptor to another person authorized to possess captive-bred raptors if the raptor is marked on the metatarsus by a seamless, numbered band that we provide.

(2) You may transfer, sell, or barter a lawfully possessed raptor egg or raptor semen produced by a raptor held under your captive propagation permit (including a raptor taken from the wild) to another raptor propagation permittee.

(3) You may not purchase, sell, or barter any raptor eggs or any raptors taken from the wild in the United States or its territories or possessions, any semen collected from a raptor in the wild in the United States or its territories or possessions, or any raptor hatched from eggs taken from the wild in the United States or its territories or possessions.

(h) Required paperwork. You must have a copy of a properly completed FWS Form 3-186A (Migratory Bird Acquisition and Disposition Report) for each raptor you acquire or that is transferred to you.

(1) You do not have to submit or have a copy of an FWS Form 3-186A for raptors you produce by captive propagation if you keep the raptors in your possession under your propagation permit.

(2) If you sell, trade, barter, or transfer a raptor held under your captive propagation permit, even if the transfer is to a falconry permit you hold, you must complete an FWS Form 3-186A and send it to us within 5 calendar days of the transfer.

(i) Care of a propagation raptor by another person—

(1) Care of a propagation raptor by another permittee. The regulations in this paragraph pertain to care of propagation raptors by persons other than the permittee. Another person who can legally possess raptors may care for a propagation raptor for you for up to 120 calendar days.

(i) The person must have a letter from you authorizing him or her to care for the birds, beginning on the date of your letter.

(ii) The raptor will remain on your raptor propagation permit. If the person who temporarily holds it for you is a falconer or a captive propagator, the raptor will not be counted against his or her possession limit on raptors held for falconry or propagation. However, the other person may not use the raptor in falconry or in propagation.

(iii) If you wish to have someone else care for a propagation raptor for more than 120 days, or if you wish to let another person use the raptor in falconry or captive propagation, you must transfer the raptor to that person and report the transfer by submitting a completed FWS Form 3-186A.

(2) Care of a propagation raptor by an individual who does not have a propagation or falconry permit. Another person may care for propagation raptors you possess for up to 120 consecutive calendar days.

(i) The raptor(s) will remain on your propagation permit.

(ii) The raptors must remain in your facilities.

(iii) This care may be extended indefinitely in extenuating circumstances, such as illness, military service, or for a family emergency. The person(s) caring for your raptors may not fly them for any reason.

(j) Care of nestlings by an individual who does not hold a migratory bird permit. Another person may temporarily care for and band nestlings you hold from the time they are hatched until they are fully feathered. You may allow the other person to keep the nestlings at another location. You must give the individual a letter authorizing him or her to care for the nestlings, beginning on the date of your letter. The care might be part of each day during the nestling period so that the nestlings can be fed, or it might be a series of full days if transport to and from the breeding facility is not practical or needed.

(k) Disposition of molted feathers from a live raptor or carcasses of raptors held under your permit. (1) You may donate the body or feathers of any species you possess under your propagation permit to any person or institution exempt under § 21.12 or authorized by permit to acquire and possess such parts or feathers.

(2) For any raptor you hold under your propagation permit, if the bird was banded or microchipped prior to its death, you may keep the body to have the feathers available for imping or to have the body mounted by a taxidermist. You may use the mount in propagation activities or in giving conservation education programs. If the bird was banded, you must leave the band on the body. If the bird has an implanted microchip, the microchip must be placed inside the mounted bird.

(3) If you do not wish to donate the bird body or feathers or keep it or them yourself, you must burn, bury, or otherwise destroy it or them within 10 days of the death of the bird or after final examination by a veterinarian to determine cause of death. Carcasses of euthanized raptors could pose a risk of secondary poisoning of eagles and other scavengers. You must take appropriate precautions to avoid such poisonings.

(4) If you do not donate the bird body or feathers or have the body mounted by a taxidermist, you may possess the flight feathers for as long as you have a valid raptor propagation or falconry permit. However, you may not buy, sell, or barter the feathers. You must keep the paperwork documenting your acquisition of the bird.

(l) Raptor products. You may possess addled or blown eggs, nests, and feathers from raptors held under permit, and may transfer any of these items to any other person authorized to possess them.

(m) Release to the wild. You may release a captive-bred raptor to the wild if it is allowed by the State or territory in which you wish to release the raptor, except that you may not release a hybrid raptor to the wild. You must leave the captive-bred band on any raptor you release to the wild.

(n) Conservation education programs. You may use a raptor you possess for raptor propagation in conservation education programs presented in public venues.

(1) You do not need a Federal education permit to conduct conservation education activities using a propagation raptor.

(2) You must use the raptor primarily for propagation.

(3) You may charge a fee for presentation of a conservation education program. The fee may not exceed the amount required to recoup your costs.

(4) In conservation education programs, you must provide information about the biology, ecological roles, and conservation needs of raptors and other migratory birds, although not all of these topics must be addressed in every presentation. You may not give presentations that do not address falconry and conservation education.

(5) You are responsible for all liability associated with conservation education activities you undertake (see § 13.50 of this chapter).

(o) Permit restrictions. With limited exceptions, you may use raptors held under your captive propagation permit only for propagation or keep them to transfer or sell. You must transfer a raptor used in captive propagation to a falconry permit before you or another person may use it in falconry. If you transfer a raptor used in captive propagation to another permit, you and the recipient of the raptor (which might be you) must complete an FWS Form 3-186A and report the transfer. You do not need to transfer a bird from your falconry permit (if you hold one) if you use the bird for fewer than 8 months in a year in captive propagation, but you must do so if you permanently transfer the bird for propagation. The bird must then be banded as required in paragraph (e).

(p) Training propagation raptors. You may use falconry training or conditioning practices such as, but not limited to, creance (tethered) flying, lures, balloons, or kites in training or conditioning captive-bred progeny of raptors you hold under your permit.

(1) Until the raptors are 1 year old, you may use captive-bred offspring in actual hunting as a means of training them. To do so, you will not need to transfer them to another permit type. You may not use them in hunting after their first year if they are held under your captive propagation permit.

(2) Any hybrid raptor that you fly free must have at least two attached radio transmitters to help you to locate the bird.

(3) You may not hunt at any time with raptors you use in propagation.

(q) Hacking of propagation raptors. “Hacking” (temporary release to the wild) is an approved method to condition raptors. You may hack a raptor that you produce under your propagation permit.

(1) You may need permission from your State or tribal wildlife agency to hack a raptor you possess under your propagation permit. Check with your State or tribal agency that regulates falconry to determine if hacking is allowed.

(2) Any hybrid you hack must have two attached functioning radio transmitters during hacking.

(3) You may not hack a raptor near a nesting area of a federally threatened or endangered bird species or in any other location where the raptor is likely to harm a federally listed threatened or endangered animal species that might be disturbed or taken by your falconry raptor. You should contact your State or territorial wildlife agency before hacking a falconry raptor to ensure that this does not occur. Contact the Fish and Wildlife Service office in your State or territory for information on federally listed species.

(r) Transfer of propagation raptors and offspring if a permittee dies. A surviving spouse, executor, administrator, or other legal representative of a deceased raptor propagation permittee may transfer any bird, eggs, or semen held by the deceased permittee to another authorized permittee within 90 days of the death of the falconry permittee. After 90 days, disposition of a bird held under the permit is at our discretion.

(s) Records of captive propagation efforts. You must maintain complete and accurate records of all operations, including the following, for at least 5 years after the expiration of your permit. However, you may want to retain your records for a longer time if you want to get another migratory bird permit, a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora permit, or a Wild Bird Conservation Act permit.

(1) The acquisition of raptors, eggs, or semen you acquired from the wild or that were transferred to you.

(i) What you acquired, and the species, sex, age, and band number of each bird you acquired.

(ii) Whether you acquired the raptor, egg, or semen from the wild or you purchased it or it was transferred to you.

(2) The disposition of raptors, eggs, or semen you sell or transfer to another permittee. The information should include the band number of raptors you sell or transfer.

(t) Annual report. You must submit a completed FWS Form 3-202-8 to your Regional Migratory Bird Permit office by January 31 each year for January 1 through December 31 of the preceding year.

(u) Endangered or threatened species. If you wish to propagate endangered or threatened species, you must have at least 2 years of experience handling raptors in a propagation program or programs. You may also need an endangered species permit to propagate threatened or endangered raptors. See §§ 17.21 and 17.22 of this chapter for permit requirements to propagate threatened or endangered raptors.

(v) Applying for a Federal raptor propagation permit. Using FWS Form 3-200-12, you must submit your application for a raptor propagation permit to the appropriate Regional Director, to the attention of the Migratory Bird Permit Office. You can find addresses for the Regional Directors in 50 CFR 2.2. Your application must contain the general information and the certification required in § 13.12(a) of this chapter, a copy of your State permit authorizing raptor propagation, if your State requires one, and a description (including dimensions), drawings, and photographs of the facilities and equipment you will use.

(w) Criteria for issuing a permit. When we receive a completed application, we will decide whether we should issue a permit to you. We will consider the general criteria in part 13 of this chapter and the following factors:

(1) You must be at least 18 years old and have at least 2 full years of experience handling raptors.

(2) You must have a propagation permit or other authorization for raptor propagation from your State or Tribe, if your State or Tribe requires it.

(3) Your raptor propagation facilities must be adequate for the number and species of raptors to be held under your permit.

(x) Updating a raptor propagation permit after a move. If you move within your State or get a new mailing address, you must notify us within 30 days (see § 13.23(c) of this chapter). If you move to a new State, within 30 days you must inform both your former and your new (if applicable) Migratory Bird Permit Offices of your address change. If you have new propagation facilities, you must provide information, pictures, and diagrams of them, and they may be inspected in accordance with Federal or State requirements. Thereafter, no mandatory inspections of the facilities will continue.

(y) Permit expiration. Your Federal permit may be valid for up to 5 years from when it is issued or renewed. It will expire on the same day as your State permit, unless your State permit is for a period longer than 5 years, or unless we amend, suspend, or revoke it.

[76 FR 29667, May 23, 2011. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, 882, Jan. 7, 2022]

(a) Permit requirement. You must have a waterfowl sale and disposal permit before you may lawfully sell, trade, donate, or otherwise dispose of most species of captive-reared and properly marked migratory waterfowl (family Anatidae) or their eggs. You do not need a permit to sell or dispose of properly marked captive-reared mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) or their eggs.

(b) Permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B, waterfowl sale and disposal permits are subject to the following conditions:

(1) You may not take migratory waterfowl or their eggs from the wild, unless take is provided for elsewhere in this subchapter.

(2) You may not acquire migratory waterfowl or their eggs from any person who does not have a valid waterfowl propagation permit.

(3) Before they are 6 weeks of age, all live captive migratory waterfowl possessed under authority of a valid waterfowl sale and disposal permit must be physically marked as defined in § 21.45(b).

(4) All offspring of birds hatched, reared, and retained in captivity also must be marked before they are 6 weeks of age in accordance with § 21.45(b), unless they are held in captivity at a public zoological park, or a public scientific or educational institution.

(5) Properly marked captive-bred birds may be killed, in any number, at any time or place, by any means except shooting. They may be killed by shooting only in accordance with all the applicable hunting regulations governing the taking of like species from the wild.

(6) At all times during possession, transportation, and storage, until the raw carcasses of such birds are finally processed immediately prior to cooking, smoking, or canning, the marked foot or wing must remain attached to each carcass. However, if you have a State license, permit, or authorization that allows you to sell game, you may remove the marked foot or wing from the raw carcasses if the number of your State license, permit, or authorization has been legibly stamped in ink on the back of each carcass and on the wrapping or container in which each carcass is maintained, or if each carcass is identified by a State band on a leg or wing pursuant to requirements of your State license, permit, or authorization.

(7) You may dispose of properly marked live or dead birds or their eggs (except muscovy ducks and their eggs) in any number at any time or place, or transfer them to any person, if the birds are physically marked prior to sale or disposal, regardless of whether or not they have attained 6 weeks of age.

(8) You may propagate muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) only for sale for food.

(i) You may not release muscovy ducks to the wild or transfer them for release to the wild.

(ii) You may not sell or transfer muscovy ducks to be killed by shooting.

(9) If you transfer captive-bred birds or their eggs to another person, you must complete FWS Form 3-186, Notice of Transfer or Sale of Migratory Waterfowl, and provide all information required on the form, plus the method or methods by which individual birds are marked as required by § 21.45(b).

(i) Give the original of the completed form to the person acquiring the birds or eggs.

(ii) Retain one copy in your files.

(iii) Attach one copy to the shipping container for the birds or eggs, or include it with shipping documents that accompany the shipment.

(iv) By the end of the month in which you complete the transfer, mail two copies to the Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office that issued your permit.

(c) Reporting requirements. You must submit an annual report by January 10th of each year to the Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office that issued your permit. You must report the number of waterfowl of each species you possess on that date, and the method or methods by which each is marked.

(d) Applying for a waterfowl propagation permit. Submit your application for a waterfowl sale and disposal permit to the appropriate Regional Director (Attention: Migratory Bird Permit Office). You can find addresses for the Regional Directors in 50 CFR 2.2. Your application must contain the general information and certification required in § 13.12(a) of subchapter A of this chapter, and the following additional information:

(1) A description of the area where you will keep waterfowl in your possession;

(2) The species and numbers of waterfowl you possess and a statement showing from whom the birds were obtained;

(3) A statement indicating the method by which birds you hold will be marked as required by the provisions of this part 21; and

(4) The number and expiration of your State permit if you are required to have one.

(e) Term of permit. A waterfowl sale and disposal permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked, but the term of the permit will not exceed five (5) years from the date of issuance or renewal.

[75 FR 9320, Mar. 1, 2010. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, 882, Jan. 7, 2022]

Permits may be issued for special purpose activities related to migratory birds, their parts, nests, or eggs, which are otherwise outside the scope of the standard form permits of this part. A special purpose permit for migratory bird related activities not otherwise provided for in this part may be issued to an applicant who submits a written application containing the general information and certification required by part 13 and makes a sufficient showing of benefit to the migratory bird resource, important research reasons, reasons of human concern for individual birds, or other compelling justification.

(a) Permit requirement. A special purpose permit is required before any person may lawfully take, salvage, otherwise acquire, transport, or possess migratory birds, their parts, nests, or eggs for any purpose not covered by the standard form permits of this part. In addition, a special purpose permit is required before any person may sell, purchase, or barter captive-bred, migratory game birds (see 50 CFR 20.11(a)), other than waterfowl, that are marked in compliance with § 21.45(b) of this part.

(b) Application procedures. Submit application for special purpose permits to the appropriate Regional Director (Attention: Migratory bird permit office). You can find addresses for the Regional Directors in 50 CFR 2.2. Each application must contain the general information and certification required in § 13.12(a) of this subchapter, and the following additional information:

(1) A detailed statement describing the project or activity which requires issuance of a permit, purpose of such project or activity, and a delineation of the area in which it will be conducted. (Copies of supporting documents, research proposals, and any necessary State permits should accompany the application);

(2) Numbers and species of migratory birds involved where same can reasonably be determined in advance; and

(3) Statement of disposition which will be made of migratory birds involved in the permit activity.

(c) Additional permit conditions. In addition to the general conditions set forth in part 13 of this subchapter B, special purpose permits shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Permittees shall maintain adequate records describing the conduct of the permitted activity, the numbers and species of migratory birds acquired and disposed of under the permit, and inventorying and identifying all migratory birds held on December 31 of each calendar year. Records shall be maintained at the address listed on the permit; shall be in, or reproducible in English; and shall be available for inspection by Service personnel during regular business hours. A permittee may be required by the conditions of the permit to file with the issuing office an annual report of operation. Annual reports, if required, shall be filed no later than January 31 of the calendar year following the year for which the report is required. Reports, if required, shall describe permitted activities, numbers and species of migratory birds acquired and disposed of, and shall inventory and describe all migratory birds possessed under the special purpose permit on December 31 of the reporting year.

(2) Permittees shall make such other reports as may be requested by the issuing officer.

(3) All live, captive-bred, migratory game birds possessed under authority of a valid special purpose permit shall be physically marked as defined in § 21.45(b) of this part.

(4) No captive-bred migratory game bird may be sold or bartered unless marked in accordance with § 21.45(b) of this part.

(5) No permittee may take, purchase, receive or otherwise acquire, sell, barter, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any captive-bred migratory game bird unless such permittee submits a Service form 3-186A (Migratory Bird Acquisition/Disposition Report), completed in accordance with the instructions on the form, to the issuing office within five (5) days of such transaction.

(6) No permittee, who is authorized to sell or barter migratory game birds pursuant to a permit issued under this section, may sell or barter such birds to any person unless that person is authorized to purchase and possess such migratory game birds under a permit issued pursuant to this part and part 13, or as permitted by regulations in this part.

(d) Term of permit. A special purpose permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit unless amended or revoked, but the term of the permit shall not exceed three (3) years from the date of issuance or renewal.

[39 FR 1178, Jan. 4, 1974, as amended at 54 FR 38152, Sept. 14, 1989; 63 FR 52637, Oct. 1, 1998. Redesignated and amended at 87 FR 881, 882, Jan. 7, 2022]