What is the Migratory Bird Treaty?
In the early twentieth century, several governments realized that the protection of migratory birds was not something one nation could accomplish alone, because birds do not respect national boundaries. The treaty was signed by the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada) in 1916 and was implemented in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The United States has similar treaties with Mexico and Japan, and it also signed one with the Soviet Union. The Act makes it illegal 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,” etc., migratory birds, parts of their bodies, or their eggs or nests. Governmental authorities may make exceptions to allow, for example, hunting seasons or research work; in these cases, licenses or permits are involved. The “take” provision above makes it imperative that birders refrain from
