Collecting Roadkill Raptors

April 4, 2013

Question: What are the rules concerning the use of birds of prey, such as owls, which have been killed by vehicles? I have found several in the local area which seemed to be dead along the side of the road but without evidence of damage to the body. My guess based on where they fell is they are “indirect roadkills.” If I wanted to save these animals for taxidermy or another use, would I need some kind of documentation? If so, what sort of permit would I need? It would be simple to document the finds I have made photographically at the site, but preserving them for inspection later by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) would be harder. Thanks for your help with this. (Ken Z., Visalia)

Answer: Under both state and federal law, it is not legal to collect or possess any species of bird that is protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This would include all raptors that have been killed by vehicles. There are permits available, under very specific circumstances that allow scientific or educational facilities to salvage these birds. Organizations that believe they may qualify for these permits would be required to obtain both a federal Salvage Permit and state Scientific Collecting Permit. More information on these permits can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/research_permit/ and www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-10a.pdf.

Another very valuable thing the average citizen can do when they see a potential road kill is to “document the find” in one of the databases such as www.wildlifecrossing.net/california/. If it is near a State Highway, the Department of Transportation keeps records specifically for planning and coordination purposes.