DEAR JOAN: My sisters and I have been clearing out my parents’ house and getting it ready to sell. We have all the usual stuff to get rid of with one exception — a stuffed bald eagle.
We don’t know anything about it or where it came from. My parents did like to go to garage sales. The bird is large with a wing span of about 4 feet. We need to find a home for it.
I know there are laws about endangered species and Native American rights and rituals that need to be considered.
Can you help me do the right thing by this great bird?
Janette R., Richmond
DEAR JANETTE: That is a conundrum. Whomever sold or gave your parents the mounted bald eagle was breaking the law just by possessing it, as were your parents, although I’m sure they weren’t aware of it.
Bald and golden eagles are protected by several federal laws, including the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The laws protect the birds, and make it illegal to possess them, their feathers, nests or any body parts. That law was passed in 1940, so it might be possible to legally own the bird if there is provenance showing it was collected legally before then. However, it would be illegal to sell under any circumstances.
If you decide to keep the bird, it would be best to make sure you are doing so legally by getting the proper paperwork and permissions. You’ll need documentation about when the bird died and was mounted.
Finding a new home for it will require a little work on your part. I spoke to Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, which has the proper federal and state permissions to possess certain animals, and they said you should contact them directly. They are at present reviewing their acquisitions, so they might not be able to give you an immediate answer.
I also contacted the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife’s National Eagle Repository outside Denver, Colorado. They receive dead eagles from government agencies, and distribute feathers and parts to researchers but mostly to Native Americans, who are the only individuals allowed to legally possess them. The repository might be willing to accept the eagle, but they need more information and photographs. Contact the repository at 303-287-2110 to start the ball rolling.
DEAR JOAN: I have a question about a medium sized, grey-brown bird that makes a staccato, monotonous chirp, often early in the morning when it isn’t even light.
The sound never varies and frankly, it is quite irritating. Sorry, I don’t have a photo but this bird is unmistakable. Do you know the name of the bird? I couldn’t locate it in my Peterson’s Guide of North American Birds.
Carol Wood, Bay Area
DEAR CAROL: Although we are more accustomed to hearing more than just the chirp, I’d say your early morning annoyance is a Northern mockingbird.
They usually perform a number of songs, melodies and other sounds, but in the case of birds that have mated and so have no need to show off, the bird can simply chirp, chirp, chirp, often to warn other birds away from its territory. You can compare your chirp to a recording of a mockingbird call at www.allaboutbirds.org.
