A Guide to the Laws and Treaties of the United States for Protecting Migratory Birds

A fairly large number of international treaties and domestic laws have been enacted that provide protection for migratory birds. To help put the legal authorities into perspective, we have categorized them as primary and secondary authorities. Primary authorities are international conventions and major domestic laws that focus primarily on migratory birds and their habitats. Secondary authorities are broad-based domestic environmental laws that provide ancillary but significant benefits to migratory birds and their habitats.