Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Saving Species: One Feather at a Time
Happy New Year! Today I’m sharing a bit about our work that you might not be aware of, and a different way to conserve wildlife than we typically do through our rehab hospital.
The feather is the most iconic symbol in Native American culture.
In 2010, Liberty Wildlife entered a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and established the Liberty Wildlife Non-Eagle Feather Repository Program (LWNEFR). Under this agreement, the LWNEFR is permitted to accept, hold, and distribute non-eagle feathers to Native Americans — feathers used to create religious, ceremonial, and dance regalia critical to sustaining their religious practices.
In 2023 we reached a milestone — we’ve now completed 6000 feather orders filled and shipped to Native Americans. The 
recipients represent over 250 Tribes located throughout the United States. And the feathers were both sacred and revered by those Native Americans that received them.
This milestone is significant but only represents one of the two goals established by LWNEFR. An equally significant goal is to discourage the purchase of illegal feathers. Every year thousands of birds are taken illegally from the wild and their feathers sold on the black market.
Despite laws and regulations protecting birds, this nefarious activity continues to threaten the health of our native bird populations, especially eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls.
This problem was highlighted in December when two men in Montana were indicted for killing approximately 3,600 birds, including golden and bald eagles, to sell on the black market. The “killing spree,” as described by one of the men took place over a 6-year period in area of Montana known to have large concentrations of eagles and other large raptors.
Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths.
The illegal taking of birds from the wild is a clandestine activity that is difficult to monitor and hard to prosecute. And even
if the guilty parties are caught, the damage has already been done.
The LWNEFR is actively fighting the black market by providing a legal source of feathers and at no cost to Native Americans. It’s a simple equation. By providing a legal and no cost source of feathers, there is no need to buy feathers. And if they are not bought, there is no profit to be made. With no profit there is no incentive to illegally hunt and kill these birds.
What makes the LWNEFR program so unique is that it addresses the problem of illegal take pro-actively — providing an alternative before the damage is done. We like to say that for every feather we send out, that’s one less bird that will be taken from the wild. Protecting and conserving North American birds for future generations.
Just one more way that Liberty Wildlife is working to save our ailing planet. One more way that Liberty Wildlife is seeking solutions to issues that affect wildlife.
This Week @ Liberty – January 2, 2024
Goodbye, 2023, you ended with a bang and a whole lot of life; I’m grateful for the year, but happy to see you go. Hello to 2024! I started off with a good book on a cloudy day with a lazy mindset, and I think it’s safe to say I achieved my goal. I read an entire book (yes, an entire book), and successfully managed to eat the rest of the junk food in my house and have a relaxing dinner. I hope you were able to do the same!
Alas, that lazy day is over, and the New Year is definitely here. Which means it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Soon, baby wildlife will be upon us, and summer is right around the corner after that; for now, we’re enjoying the ‘slowness’ of the season, and getting ready for what’s to come.
Lead Toxicity
If you follow other wildlife rehabilitation centers—or read up on raptors, specifically—you’ll know that lead toxicity is a big problem for a lot of our feathered friends. Scavenger birds like Bald Eagles, California condors, and vultures are extremely susceptible; it takes a pea-sized bullet left in carcasses by hunters to taint the meat these raptors are eating. And when all you eat is carrion (dead stuff!), like California condors and vultures do, their lead levels can get high super quickly. And the prognosis is often not good.
Here at Liberty Wildlife, a good majority of the vultures we see are because of lead toxicity. Not all, but enough that when they come in lethargic, skinny (sometimes emaciated), with difficulty using their legs, our first order of business is to test for lead toxicity to get them on track to get those levels down.
This turkey vulture was one such case. He was found on the side of the road with no apparent fractures or signs of stress, yet he showed all the signs of severe lead toxicity. With a brand new Leadcare (a tool used to measure levels of lead in the blood), Alex, our Daily Care Coordinator, was able to draw blood from the Turkey Vulture, and use this new equipment to confirm what we suspected—extremely high levels of lead.
We started him on several different medications to help draw out the lead; keeping him in a warm, quiet place with easy access to food, is another priority. Removing toxins like this is painstakingly slow process in the best circumstances, taking some serious time in ICU before being moved to the outside rehab pens.
Unfortunately, our new friend came to us too late; he passed a day after his treatment started. And though we are saddened by another loss, it is a reminder how much of an impact we make on the creatures who share this world with us. Being mindful of waste, disposing of fishing hooks and line in an appropriate manner, and if you’re a hunter, switching from lead bullets to copper (or hey, even bow hunting!) are all ways to help Arizona’s wildlife.
Our animal friends would certainly appreciate it.
What Would You Like to See
It’s been a year and some change since I made the transition from volunteer to staff. And I have to admit, I never thought I would be quite as excited to go to work, and yet here I am, just as excited today as I was that very first day.
What I haven’t done, though, is ask you, the reader, what kinds of things YOU want to see. Do you like to see the Animal Ambassadors and learn their stories? Do you like seeing the rehabilitation side of things, with our veterinarians and medical service volunteers? Or do you like to see a mix, some education, some rehabilitation, with some other things thrown in?
Well, here’s you’re lucky day to tell me what you’d like to see for the upcoming year. Drop a comment and let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to learn about, or see, and I’ll keep it in mind throughout the year! I can’t make any promises, though; a lot of what I write is based on what we’re seeing here in the hospital and what is happening on-site.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other topics out there that wouldn’t be fun to see!
Notable Mentions
I’m not sure about you, but the holidays were a whirlwind for me. Notable mentions will be a little short this week, but I can assure you this won’t be a usual case. I love all my random photos, and I love sharing them with all of you.
So, without further ado, here are this weeks’ notable mentions:
- Imping, which is the process of creating a new tail, was chosen by Jan and Alex for Zane the Harris’s Hawk (1 picture)
- A Common Poorwill makes an appearance in Triage (1 picture)
- A cold, rainy day brings all our volunteers under the amphitheater for cover (1 picture)
- After test flying an American Kestrel, it was decided he couldn’t fly (but he made his way onto the chair and posed for a quick picture) (1 picture)
- A Great Horned Owl is released in the Valley right before the new year (1 picture)
Remember, public hours is in full swing on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-1pm; make sure to bring the family to see all your favorite animal ambassadors. And, of course, a new year brings new events…keep an eye out for some exciting things happening on campus in 2024!
Until next time!
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Posted by Acacia Parker
Public Outreach Coordinator
As an animal lover I am horrified to read about the injuries and deaths of these beautiful birds. I want to see laws with more convictions and punishment for these crimes.
Hi Randall, yes, it is super heartbreaking to see. Thankfully, there are some laws out there that do protect wildlife, but there’s certainly still a lot of work to be done. This is our education programs that we offer on-site and off-site are so important; not only does it show our compassion and love for these animals, but it also helps us get the word out about how people can help these animals on a day-to-day basis. Thank you for your kindness and compassion, the world needs more people like you!
Hi Acacia, I enjoy every word and picture that you share, and learn and grieve from the birds that are injured as a result of human activity… The only additional thing I would like to see sometime, is the care and release of a common bird, like a dove or lesser goldfinch or house finch. About 5 years ago I brought to Liberty Wildlife a dove that had been caught in a fence where he lost a number of feathers. (I found Liberty Wildlife online.) So, if it should work out, please feature a “regular” bird sometime.
Thank you,
Marilyn Leatherman
Hi Marilyn, thanks so much! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading the blog and seeing all the photos. I will add some articles about some of our more ‘common’ birds, like finches and doves, to my roster for this year (so make sure to keep an eye out!).