Washington Administrative Code
Title 220 - Fish and Wildlife, Department of
WILDLIFE
Chapter 220-420 - Falconry
Section 220-420-300 - Facilities and care requirements and guidelines

(1) For housing wild raptors indoors or outdoors, the facility must protect raptors from predators, the environment, and domestic animals. The facility must have a suitable perch for each raptor, at least one opening for sunlight, and must provide a healthy environment for raptors. Untethered raptors may be housed together if they are compatible with each other. Each raptor must have an area large enough to allow it to fly if it is untethered or, if tethered, to fully extend its wings or attempt to fly while tethered without damaging its feathers or contacting other raptors. Each raptor must have a pan of clean water available unless weather conditions, the perch type used, or other factor makes access to a water pan unsafe for the raptor.

(2) An indoor facility must be large enough to allow for the care and feeding of raptors kept there. Acceptable indoor facilities include perch enclosures where raptors are tethered side by side. If raptors in an indoor facility are not tethered, all walls that are not solid must be protected on the inside. Suitable materials may include vertical bars spaced narrower than the width of the body of the smallest raptor housed in the enclosure. However, heavy-duty netting or other such materials may be used to cover the walls or roof of the enclosure.

(3) Other innovative housing systems are acceptable if they provide the enclosed raptors with protection and maintain healthy feathers. A falconry raptor or raptors may be kept inside a residence if a suitable perch or perches are provided. If inside a home, windows or other aspects of the structure do not need modification. Raptors kept in a home must be tethered when they are not being moved into or out of the location in which they are kept, exercised, worked with, or trained.

(4) An outdoor facility may be made of wire, heavy-duty plastic mesh, slats, pipe, wood, or other suitable material. The facility must have at least a covered perch to protect a raptor held in it.

(5) New and different types of housing facilities and/or husbandry practices may be used if they satisfy the basic requirements above.

(6) Falconry raptors may be kept outside in the open if they are under watch, at any location, or by a designated individual, for example in a weathering yard.

(7) The department must be informed within five business days if a permittee moves his/her falconry facilities to another location.