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Author Topic: Parrot feathers?  (Read 7567 times)

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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Parrot feathers?
« on: September 09, 2011, 02:47:32 am »
anyone ever use parrot feathers?  do they work ok.  I thought about calling around to mackaw and cockatoo breeders asking for tail and primary feathers.  You cold get some real pretty naturaly colored feathers like that.

I saw some big turkey buzzard primaries the other day.  Thought about picking them up for fletching but decided against for sanitation reasons.  Unfortunately I thougthout out loud and my 4 year old picked one up before I could stop her.

Palm Cockatoo's are jet black.  Hayacinth mackawas are a briliant cobalt blue.  Then of course there are Blue and Gold and Scarlet mackaws, blends of blue, red and green are possible there.

Anyone use these sorts of feathers?  I'd think they would be just like using duck feathers or goose feathers which I have seen.
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Offline wolfsire

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2011, 03:40:53 am »
I use them occasionally.   Google up images of south american arrows and related terms, you should find many examples.  Two fletch seems to be most common.
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Steve in LV, NV

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2011, 11:34:35 am »
That would make sense.  They don't molt all at once.  And killing them for featehrs is an expensive endeavor.  Hyacinth ~ $10,000.  Blue and Gold $1,500 last I checked.  I'm a bird fan.
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Offline bowtarist

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2011, 02:56:21 pm »
I'm sure any feathers will work for fletching, given that they are not too downy.

The deal w/ the vulture...I wouldn't worry so much about the sanitaty issue, but where I'm @, Indiana, USA, they are protected like eagles, owls and hawks.  Big $$ fine if caught with them.
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Offline criveraville

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2011, 03:06:52 pm »
Check the laws where you live. I'm sure it's illegal to use buzzard feathers.
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Offline sadiejane

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2011, 03:15:15 pm »
Quote from: bowtarist on September 09, 2011, 02:56:21 pm
I'm sure any feathers will work for fletching, given that they are not too downy.

The deal w/ the vulture...I wouldn't worry so much about the sanitaty issue, but where I'm @, Indiana, USA, they are protected like eagles, owls and hawks.  Big $$ fine if caught with them.

vultures(turkey and black) are protected under the federal migratory bird act and are illegal to possess anywhere in the us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Vulture
any wild or otherwise feathers i obtain are put it the microwave for 20 seconds then bagged and left in the freezer for sometime. then a dryer sheet is added to each bag to ward off critters. birds have mites. plain n simple. and other critters can invade your feathers while stored and turn em to dust.
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2011, 04:00:26 pm »
Thanks,  Glad I didn't use it.
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Offline markinengland

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2011, 05:06:35 pm »
I have seen some amazing Amazonian arrows twin fletched with parrot feathers.

What is really cool is that most coloured parrot feathers are one colour on one side and different on the other side of the feather.

I've only shot these real Amazonian arrows a few times (they belonged to a friend) but they worked well and seemed to have been failry durable.
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mikekeswick

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2011, 05:37:53 am »
One of my friends breeds parrots and I got a huge bag of assorted parrot feathers from him, i'm not sure of all the species but I found them to not be all that great? Yes they look superb but when shot nito a target the vanes would carry on going forward with the impact...when you collect the arrows it looks like they are scared! With all the fibers are stuck upright!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2011, 12:52:06 pm »
Any feathers will work for fletching because they are adding resistance and steerage to the arrow.
  Any native feathers in the US are federally protected except for game birds. This means songbirds too. Any non native bird feathers should be OK to use and will make fletching with the right fletching configuation.
  I saw James Parker make an arrow with pine needle fletching that flew surprising well.
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Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2011, 01:46:25 pm »
Does that mean I can't use buzzard feathers?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2011, 03:07:30 pm »
If you don't mind paying at least $1000 per feather to the feds go right ahead and use them.
  Like I said all native bird feathers are illegal to use(even song birds) except for game birds. It has been a Federal Law since the early 1900s.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2011, 04:10:49 pm »
I mean I find them on the sidewalks when I go downtown, I don't kill the birds. They clean up the carcasses in the woods I wouldn't do that. I only use what they shed.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2011, 04:22:49 pm »
You can not possess them no matter how you got them!
  Google "Federal Migratory Bird Act" That should tell you all you need to know.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: Parrot feathers?
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2011, 05:48:03 pm »
Wow. I didn't know.  :o  That's kind of odd but there are stranger laws out there so I will let that one go. I guess their reasoning is that they have no way of knowing whether you killed the bird or not so just to be safe you should leave any feathers you find right there where you found them.
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