BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — America's golden eagles face a rising threat from a black market for their feathers used in Native American powwows and other ceremonies, according to wildlife officials, researchers and tribal members. The government's response has been two-pronged: A crackdown on rings illegally trafficking dead eagles coupled with a longstanding program that lawfully distributes eagle feathers and parts to tribal members.
But that program has a yearslong backlog, and officials said illegal killings appear to be worsening, with young golden eagles in particular targeted because of high value placed on their white and black wing feathers. Golden eagles, which are federally protected but not considered endangered, already faced pressure — from poisonings, climate change and wind turbines that kill eagles in collisions. An investigation centered around a Montana Indian reservation recently landed its first conviction — a Washington state man accused with others of killing thousands of birds including at least 118 bald and golden eagles and selling their parts in the U.
S. and abroad. He faces several years in prison during a Thursday sentencing and could be ordered to pay up to $777,250 in restitution, in a prosecution that's offered a rare glimpse into the black market.
Another investigation involving undercover agents recovered 150 golden and bald eagles over the past decade, with 35 defendants charged and 31 sentenced for wildlife violations, according to court r.