16 U.S.C. § 703 - Taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds unlawful

• Cite as: 16 U.S.C. § 703

(a) In general

Unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided in this subchapter, it shall be 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, 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, included in the terms of the conventions between the United States and Great Britain for the protection of migratory birds concluded August 16, 1916 (39 Stat. 1702), the United States and the United Mexican States for the protection of migratory birds and game mammals concluded February 7, 1936, the United States and the Government of Japan for the protection of migratory birds and birds in danger of extinction, and their environment concluded March 4, 1972, and the convention between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the conservation of migratory birds and their environments concluded November 19, 1976.

(b) Limitation on application to introduced species

(1) In general

This subchapter applies only to migratory bird species that are native to the United States or its territories.

(2) Native to the United States defined

(A) In general

Subject to subparagraph (B), in this subsection the term "native to the United States or its territories" means occurring in the United States or its territories as the result of natural biological or ecological processes.

(B) Treatment of introduced species

For purposes of paragraph (1), a migratory bird species that occurs in the United States or its territories solely as a result of intentional or unintentional human-assisted introduction shall not be considered native to the United States or its territories unless-

(i) it was native to the United States or its territories and extant in 1918;

(ii) it was extirpated after 1918 throughout its range in the United States and its territories; and

(iii) after such extirpation, it was reintroduced in the United States or its territories as a part of a program carried out by a Federal agency.

Cite as 16 U.S.C. § 703

Source: July 3, 1918, ch. 128, §2, 40 Stat. 755; June 20, 1936, ch. 634, §3, 49 Stat. 1556; Pub. L. 93-300, §1, June 1, 1974, 88 Stat. 190; Pub. L. 101-233, §15, Dec. 13, 1989, 103 Stat. 1977; Pub. L. 108-447, div. E, title I, §143(b), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3071.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS

2004- Pub. L. 108-447 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b).

1989- Pub. L. 101-233 struck out "and" after "1936," and inserted before period at end "and the convention between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the conservation of migratory birds and their environments concluded November 19, 1976".

1974- Pub. L. 93-300 substituted ", any part, 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" for ", or any part, nest, or egg of any such birds", and ", and the United States and the Government of Japan for the protection of migratory birds and birds in danger of extinction, and their environment concluded March 4, 1972." for period at end.

1936-Act June 20, 1936, amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "Unless and except as permitted by regulations made as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried by any means whatever, receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or export, at any time or in any manner, any migratory bird, included in the terms of the convention between the United States and Great Britain for the protection of migratory birds concluded August sixteenth, nineteen hundred and sixteen, or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird."