The founder of The Feather Distribution Project, Jonathan E. Reyman, Ph.D., gives presentations around the country and we want to share this information with you.

The people of South America, Indonesia, and other lands are often so poor that they try to smuggle parrots out of the country to earn a living. Sadly, 90% of these birds die in transport. The methods of capture and transfer are extremely barbaric and the birds suffer tremendously before their ultimate death. The few that do survive are usually physically and emotionally traumatized. Sometimes if a parrot is captured for its feathers it is not smuggled, but the feathers are plucked instead of allowing them to be molted naturally.

We understand that this is very disturbing information to be sharing, but we can all help keep parrots free in their native homes and prevent this from happening by saving ALL our parrot feathers. Please see the Feather Distribution Project's website at http://www.wingwise.com/feather.htm for more information.

Native American Indians use feathers for their traditional religious ceremonies and that contributes to the demand for parrot feathers which is one reason parrots are so cruelly smuggled. Feathers from all species are useful but Macaw feathers are especially desired by the American Indians. This project has been giving feathers to the Native American Indians as gifts (free of charge) and are never bought or sold to anyone. Dr. Reyman said that since the Feather Distribution Project inception in 1982 that the price for a center macaw feather has gone down from $75 to about $25 and the project has provided 29 Pueblo Indian tribes over 7 million molted feathers. But the demand for these feathers is still there. The Feather Distribution Project can even take feathers with broken shafts and cut feathers as shown on Dr. Reyman's website and all feathers over an inch in size can be put to good use. So please save them all, even cut wing feather feathers! They can also use turkey feathers, for those of you out there that know turkey hunters.

If you know of anyone that has a parrot, please spread the word.

Feathers can be mailed to:

Dr. Jonathan E. Reyman
Illinois State Museum Research & Collections Center
1011 East Ash Street
Springfield, IL 62703-3535
(217) 785-0069
reyman@MUSEUM.STATE.IL.US

Many people toss away their feathers because they don't know what to do with them. By doing this, we can help to keep the wild parrots in their native lands where they belong.

Thank you so much!
Avian Education & Resource Center

You can also help by preparing this information packet and placing it someplace where bird people would frequent. Please remember to get permission from the place before posting. Thanks!