Migratory Bird Permit Descriptions and Applications

Eagle Permits | Other Migratory Bird Permits

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Eagle Permits

Please note all states have similar (or identical) protective provisions for most migratory birds. In most cases, they likewise require state permission to take, possess, buy or sell migratory birds. When required, a Federal permit is not valid without the corresponding State permit. To learn of additional permit procedures required by your state, please contact the appropriate state agencies.

In addition, prior to applying for a depredation permit and/or for advice and assistance with nuisance birds or other wildlife, please contact the Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services Office for your state.
Photo of two eagle chicks - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Photo by Dave Menke

Photo of two eagle chicks - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Photo by Dave Menke

Click on the permit name to download the application.

Take of Depredating Eagles: An Eagle Depredation Permit is required to take or disturb bald or golden eagles that have become injurious to wildlife, agriculture or other personal property, or human health and safety. A depredation permit is intended to provide short-term relief from damage until long-term measures can be implemented to reduce or eliminate the depredation problem through nonlethal control techniques.
Eagle Exhibition: An Eagle Exhibition permit authorizes the recipient to possess and transport eagles for the sole purpose of educating the public about the biology, ecology, and conservation needs of eagles.
Eagle Falconry: An Eagle Falconry Permit is required to possess and transport eagles for falconry purposes. Only golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) may be possessed for falconry.
Eagle Parts for Native American Religious Purposes/Certification of Enrollment in a Federally Recognized Tribe: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Federal law protecting bald and golden eagles. This law provides for the use of eagle feathers for religious purposes by Native Americans. Eagles and eagle feathers are accumulated by, and made available to Native Americans through, the National Eagle Repository. In order to receive material from the Repository, a permit must be obtained from the Service Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office responsible for your state. To qualify for a permit, you must be a member of a federally recognized tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community recognized by, and eligible to receive services from, the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Repository serves Native Americans throughout the entire 50 states.
Eagle Scientific Collecting: Eagle Scientific Collecting/Research permits are available to scientists affiliated with public museums, public scientific institutions, or public zoological parks. Live eagles taken under this permit must be released or placed with a permitted public scientific or educational institution upon completion of the study; any dead specimens must be donated to the Service's National Eagle Repository in Commerce City, Colorado.
Take of Golden Eagle Nest: A permit to take golden eagle nests is available only to parties engaged in a resource development or recovery operation and only when nests are inactive.
CITES Import-Export/Eagle Transport for Scientific or Exhibition Purposes
CITES Import-Export/Eagle Transport for Indian Religious Purposes

Other Migratory Bird Permits

Please note all states have similar (or identical) protective provisions for most migratory birds. In most cases, they likewise require state permission to take, possess, buy or sell migratory birds. When required, a Federal permit is not valid without the corresponding State permit. To learn of additional permit procedures required by your state, please contact the appropriate state agencies.

In addition, prior to applying for a depredation permit and/or for advice and assistance with nuisance birds or other wildlife, please contact the Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services Office for your state.
Photo of a northern saw-whet owl - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Photo by Gary M. Stolz

Photo of a northern saw-whet owl - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Photo by Gary M. Stolz

Photo of a kildeer nest - Photo credit: Bill Buchanan

Photo of a Service employee holding a tundra swan - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Photo by Wendy Stanton

Click on the permit name to download the application.

Depredation: A Migratory Bird Depredation Permit authorizes certain management and control activities necessary to provide for human health and safety, protect personal property, or allow resolution of other injury to people or property. No permit is required merely to scare or herd depredating migratory birds other than endangered or threatened species and bald or golden eagles. A depredation permit is intended to provide short-term relief from migratory bird depredation until long-term measures can be implemented to reduce or eliminate the depredation problem through nonlethal control techniques.
Import/Export: A Migratory Bird Import/Export permit is required to import or export migratory birds into or out of the United States. There are certain exceptions for exporting to Canada or Mexico properly marked captive-bred migratory game birds.
Scientific Collecting: A Scientific Collecting Permit is required to capture or collect migratory birds for bonafide scientific or educational needs which cannot be met with existing collections.
Banding & Marking Permits: Permits are available for banding migratory birds and can be obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Lab located in Laurel, Maryland.
Taxidermy: A Federal taxidermy permit is required to perform taxidermy services on migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs for someone other than yourself.
Waterfowl sale and disposal: Any person may, WITHOUT A PERMIT, acquire captive-reared, properly marked waterfowl and possess and propagate such birds solely for their own use. A Waterfowl Sale and Disposal Permit is required before a person may lawfully sell, trade, or donate captive-reared, properly marked migratory waterfowl (including eggs) protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (703-712) MBTA List of Bird Species EXCEPT mallard ducks.
Falconry: A falconry permit is issued to individuals interested in the sport of taking quarry (hunting) using a trained raptor. This application is the Federal permit application. Complete and submit this application only if your State does not participate in the joint State/Federal permitting process. You must obtain your State permit before you apply for a Federal permit. In Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia, the issuance of a falconry permit is a joint State/Federal process, you need only apply to your State for a falconry permit; the Service will cosign the State permit. Contact your State wildlife agency for information about the required examination and facility inspection.
Raptor Propagation: A Raptor Propagation Permits allow permittees a captive breeding program to propagate raptors and is required to take, possess, buy and sell raptors for propagation purposes. The purpose of most raptor propagators is to breed raptors for use in falconry. However, by working with State wildlife agencies, permittees may propagate raptors with the goal of releasing them to the wild for conservation purposes.
Special purpose permits: There may be certain special actions involving migratory birds for which a standard form permit has not been provided. For many years the Service has issued permits which serve to enhance the survival of the migratory bird resource, i.e., Special Purpose Rehabilitation Permits or to utilize the resources, i.e., Special Purpose Salvage Permits where birds found dead are deposited with public scientific or educational institutions or Special Purpose Possession Permits wherein permittees are authorized to possess dead birds or live, permanently-injured non-releasable birds for conservation education purposes. Special Purpose Migratory Game Bird Permits are issued for the purpose of propagating captive-bred migratory game birds other than waterfowl. There may be other unusual possession, transportation or display needs; etc., for which, with compelling justification, a special permit may be provided.
Special Canada Goose: A Special Canada Goose Permit is available to State wildlife agencies for certain resident (nonmigratory) Canada goose management and control activities that are normally prohibited. We will only issue such a permit when it will contribute to human health and safety, protect personal property, or allow resolution or prevention of injury to people or property.

Frequently Asked Questions about migratory bird permits

For additional information on Permits issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service visit the Service's Permits Webpage or contact us at FW5_migbirds@fws.gov