SIDEBAR: Big hats and the birth of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
By the end of the 1800s, several bird species had become extinct including Labrador Ducks, Great Auks and Heath Hens, according to the Audubon Society.
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Jan 26, 2024
Fast facts:
- Migratory Bird Treaty Act dates to 1918
- Multi-nation treaty aimed at protecting migratory birds
(120 words)
(Newsrooms: with ark-vutures-predation; with art.)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Was fashion the driver behind the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?
The law came to be as a means to halt overhunting. By the end of the 1800s, several bird species had become extinct including Labrador Ducks, Great Auks and Heath Hens, according to the Audubon Society.
“One of the things you'll hear a lot when people talk about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act — and this sounds so frivolous — in the late 1890s, early 1900s, big, lavish hats were very much in vogue for women and these hats were often decorated with feathers — everything from a single feather all the way up to a full bird sitting on your head,” Rollins said. “So that gets cited a lot as one of the reasons why the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed.”
A list of protected birds is available from the Federal Register.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
# # #
Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu