I’ve been collecting the Stewie’s and Mika’s nicer-looking and longer molted feathers ever since their first molts with me. Over the years I collected a nice ziplock baggie full of them, but I hadn’t decided what I intended to do with them.
But quite by chance I heard about an interesting project that collects molted feathers to distribute to Native American tribes for use in their traditional religious ceremonies.
The goal of the Feather Distribution Project is to provide feathers to the Native Americans for use in their traditional crafts and* ceremonies so that they don’t need to resort to undesirable ways of acquiring those feathers.
What a great idea.
After contacting them to make sure they could use Mika’s and Stewie’s feathers, I sent them about 120 mostly blue-green molted feathers for distribution. The projects administrator told me that feathers of that size will most likely be used as accents for peyote fans like the ones below.
Since its inception, the project has distributed over 9.5 million feathers free of charge.
If you’ve been collecting molted feathers from your pet birds and are looking for something to do with them, please consider donating them to a good cause. Please note that they can NOT accept feathers from eagles, hawks, raptors, migratory birds and that the contributions should be naturally molted feathers.
For more details on the project, including instructions for contributing, please visit their website at http://www.wingwise.com/feather.htm
* Dr. Reyman emailed me with a correction: The feathers provided by this project are for use in traditional cultural/religious purposes but NOT crafts or commercial use.
Update #2: Dr. Reyman sent us a letter to let us know that our feathers were sent to a Native American church group in Colorado!
One of my co-workers is a Native American, and I’ve been giving him my bird’s molted feathers now for a few years, and they get used in a variety of Native craft projects. Feathers are far too beautiful to throw a single one away. This is a great link for folks who don’t have Native groups near them.
thanks ever so much for this info!!
My Mom has a double yellow head and has been saving his feathers in a little box for years. She made a dreamcatcher with some of them. I have only had my parrot for a few weeks, but plan to save her feathers too 🙂
hi my name is rulan yatsatie and im from Zuni,NM, and i wanted to know what you do with the feathers . i can use them for our religious thing here at the Zuni pueblo
Thanks! When my elderly rescue Amazon molted, I couldn’t bear to throw those beautiful feathers out. I’m delighted to find a home for them.
Hello, we’d like to get in touch with you to discuss some potential partnership. Do you mind reaching back out to me? Thanks!
Hello. My name is Anthony. I am an American Indian from the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico. I am in dire need of parrot feathers for an up coming religious ceremony. If you would please help me with any informantion on how to obtain the feathers it would be greatly appreciated. Or if I could get them shipped to me it would be wonderful. Thank You for your time.
Hi Anthony – I don’t have any additional feathers. But if you click on the links above for the Feather Distribution Project, you’ll find the program’s contact info. I don’t have any additional information, but you might also try reaching out to some parrot clubs or rescues.
Anthony, I have some feathers, macaw & amazon. If you’d like those email me at abirdsbestlife@verizon.net with the address for me to mail them to.
Wonderful!
what a gorgeous pile of colorful feathers and a great idea how to use them, too.
Hello! This is fantastic. I represent a brand launching a new line of bird food and treats and would love to share some information with you. Please email me when you have a moment. thanks!
hi my name is Jeremy King from the Hopi village of Moenkopi, located 75 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. The hopi people observe and practice a very complex Ceremonial Calendar. The Feathers collected from parrots are regarded as Ceremonial Garb and are treasured and are always appreciated for use. please contact me if I may be a candidate to receive these items of Ceremonial purpose. Jeremy king kingjeremy38@yahoo.com [phone number redacted] P.O. Bx. 595 Tuba City, Arizona 86045.
What a brilliant idea and you have created such beautiful items!
Hello everyone :] I am Hopi and Navajo from Arizona. I have been trying to come in contact people who are discarding their parrot and other colorful bird feathers. In my culture we use the parrot feathers in almost all our traditional ceremonies. They have been hard to come by and I was wondering if you or anyone you know would have any that I could possibly acquire?
My email address is max_curley@yahoo.com if you need to contact me. Thank you.
Hello Max. I would encourage you to get in touch with the Feather Distribution Project I mentioned in the post.
hi this rulan Yatsatie from Zuni New mexico i need some parrot feathers for our religious purposes. so if anyone that has parrot mold feathers you can contact me at 505-728-5865 thank you.