Fletchfishes 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2018 Any guess what kind of feather this is? Seen on a trail while mountain biking in MA. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mvendon 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2018 A yellow shafted northern flicker wing feather .. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2018 It looks like a secondary flight feather from a Yellow Shafted Flicker. This is not the primary flight feather that is used for the Yellow Yammer, but rather one of the less yellow feathers closer to the body. Most birds shed their flight feathers this time of year, so finding one here and there is not unusual. See photo: https://leesbirdblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/northernflicker-yellowshafted-bioquick-news.jpg?w=545 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phg 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2018 Actually, consulting another WEB site, it appears that this is a primary flight feather, the 7th from the tip on the right side. From the top: https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/feather.php?Bird=YSFL_wing_adult And the underside: https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/feather.php?Bird=YSFL_primary_adult_ventral Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fletchfishes 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2018 Wow - thats an impressively specific answer! Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rstaight 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2018 That is an impressive answer. About all I could have said is "from a bird". That's some of what makes this site so special. People that know their s**t and are willing to help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fishingbobnelson 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2018 Remember the Migratory Bird Act makes it illegal to possess migratory bird feathers. Raptor feathers are also illegal. The MBTA makes it: unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part(this includes feathers), nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or part, of any such bird or any part, nest, or egg thereof. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2018 Sooooo ... in other words ... don't get caught? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjm 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2018 Some migratory birds are legal to hunt and to possess; ducks, geese, rail, snipe, coot, rail, gallinule, dove, sandhill crane, woodcock for example and most raptors migrate, the Treaty and the Act go into specifics by species. ( https://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/policies-and-regulations/MBTAListofBirdsFinalRule.pdf ) ( https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php ) The light geese especially need more hunting impact because they are eating all their breeding habitat and multiplying at rates that will eventually lead to their extinction. Also English sparrow, collared dove and starling are examples of invasive species that are not protected at all but do migrate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2018 beware theyre watching you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2018 DON'T touch these !!! It's a sting operation !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flytire 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2018 backyard find. not much tying with this one. no bird around looking for it. no feather police around either Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites