Conn. Agencies Regs. § 26-67e-18 - Other requirements

(a) Any person who is issued a falconry permit may retain, transfer or exchange feathers with falconers, migratory bird wildlife rehabilitators or propagators for imping purposes provided;

(1) The feathers are from a raptor that is or that was held for falconry;

(2) the feathers have come from the transfer or exchange of feathers pursuant to this section;

(3) the feathers are not bought, sold or bartered; and

(4) the feathers are transferred to an authorized person or institution upon expiration or revocation of a falconry permit.

(b) The feathers of any bird used in falconry or the body of any bird used in falconry that has died may be transferred, upon written authorization of the commissioner, or the commissioner's duly designated agent, to a person or institution, for use in education programs provided the band or microchip is not removed. If the bird is not transferred pursuant to this subsection the remaining carcass shall be burned, or buried within ten days of the death of the bird.

(c) A falconer who injures a wild bird during trapping shall be responsible for the cost of care and rehabilitation of the bird and shall seek immediate medical attention for said bird, and report it pursuant to section 26-67e-14 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. If the bird is unable to fly, it may be transferred to an authorized migratory bird wildlife rehabilitator for care.

(d) Hacking is prohibited.

(e) A falconer may use other accepted falconry practices, including, but not limited to, the use of creance (tethered) flying, lures, balloons, or kites in training or conditioning a falconry raptor. A falconer may fly a falconry bird at non-native bird species such as house sparrows and European starlings, or on pen-raised animals.

(f) A falconer may use a falconry bird for public presentations regarding conservation education or the sport of falconry, provided:

(1) The bird is used primarily for falconry; and,

(2) the falconer provides information about the biology, ecological roles, or conservation needs of a raptor.

(g) An apprentice falconer may only present conservation programs under the supervision of a general or master falconer.

(h) A falconer may, without compensation, allow photography, filming or other such uses of a falconry raptor to make movies or other forms of information on the practice of falconry, or the biology, ecological roles or conservation needs of a raptor. At no time may a falconer, or any other person, benefit monetarily from the use of a falconry raptor.

(i) A general or master falconer may assist an authorized migratory bird wildlife rehabilitator to condition a raptor in preparation for release to the wild, provided:

(1) Prior to the transfer of any raptor for such purposes, the rehabilitator provides to the commissioner a letter or form that identifies the raptor and indicates such rehabilitator's permission for the falconer to assist in the rehabilitation and care of such raptor;

(2) the falconer's facility meets the standards as defined in section 26-67e-9 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies to house a rehabilitation raptor; and

(3) a raptor shall be released, returned to the rehabilitator, or transferred to the falconer's falconry permit not later than 180 days after receipt of the raptor from the rehabilitator.

(j) A master falconer may conduct nuisance wildlife abatement activities with a raptor possessed for falconry if he or she has a Federal Abatement permit.

(1) The falconer may be paid for nuisance wildlife abatement services only if he or she has a nuisance wildlife control operator's license issued pursuant to section 26-47 of the Connecticut General Statutes; and

(2) a general falconer may conduct nuisance wildlife abatement only as a subpermittee of the holder of a Federal Abatement permit.

(k) Upon written notice to the commissioner, a surviving spouse, executor, administrator, or other legal representative of a deceased falconer may transfer any bird formerly held by the deceased falconer to another authorized falconer, within 90 days of the death of the falconry permittee. After the expiration of 90 days from the date of the death of a falconer, disposition of a bird held by the deceased falconer is at the sole discretion of the commissioner.

(l) A falconer shall have a copy of their Connecticut falconry permit in immediate possession while trapping, transporting, working with, or flying a falconry raptor at any location other than their falconry facilities.

Notes

Conn. Agencies Regs. § 26-67e-18

Adopted effective March 1, 2004; Amended December 9, 2013