This bird hackle—the feathers along the neck—came from a Grey Jungle Fowl, a species of rooster found in India. Hackles like these are especially prized by fishermen, who use the feathers in tying flies for bait. This hackle was seized in 1976 when it was illegally brought into the country by a fly-tying retailer.
At the time of confiscation, Customs inspectors teamed with in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to make the call on this suspected contraband. FWS was responsible for ensuring protected or endangered species and specimens were not trafficked in violation of international laws.
Today, preventing unauthorized animal specimens from entering the United States is a critical responsibility of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Birds pose a particular hazard. If not stopped at our borders, Avian influenza carried by diseased birds and bird products could potentially destroy the U.S. poultry industry—and infect humans with a deadly virus. CBP works closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to keep out such threats.
GREY JUNGLE FOWL NECK HACKLE
Object ID# 2012.2.3
Bird feathers attached to bird skin.
Dimensions approx. 18cm x10cm.
Transferred by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1976.
