What We Do
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to conserve and manage both bald eagle and golden eagle populations to assure both species continue to thrive.
Our Services
Guidance
The Service provides information and recommendations on living around eagles and working around eagles to help protect eagles and facilitate compliance with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
More about Living around Eagles
More about Working around Eagles
Eagle Permits
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may issue permits for the take, possession, or transportation of bald and golden eagles, as well as their parts, nests, and eggs.
Eagle Feathers and Parts for Native Americans
Native Americans can request and possess eagle feathers and parts for religious and cultural purposes from our National Eagle Repository.
Crimes Against Eagles
Our National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab examines, identifies, and compares evidence using a wide range of scientific procedures and instruments, in the attempt to link suspect, victim, and crime scene with physical evidence.
Our Projects and Research
Our Laws and Regulations
Both bald eagles and golden eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act also has regulations for permitting take, possession, and transportation of bald eagles or golden eagles (50 CFR 22). These regulations allow for permitting of "the taking, possession, and transportation within the United States of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and their parts, nests, and eggs for scientific, educational, and depredation control purposes; for the religious purposes of American Indian tribes; and to protect other interests in a particular locality" as well as governing "the transportation into or out of the United States of bald and golden eagle parts for scientific, educational, and Indian religious purposes."
Eagle Incidental Take Permit Regulations Revisions
On September 30th, 2022, the Service published in the Federal Register a proposed rule and draft environmental assessment with approaches to improve eagle incidental take permitting. The Service’s intent for both bald and golden eagles is to ensure that the regulations for these permits are consistent with the goal of maintaining stable or increasing breeding populations.
Info on Eagle Act Regulation Revisions