Would you ever wear a feather in your cap, particularly in the U.S.?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

You will never stop posers and frauds (the bogus "Of that Ilk" crowd) from passing off. The world is full of fake Rolex watch wearers, people whose necks turn green from their gold chains, and those who strut around with turkey feathers in their bonnets at the local Highland Games. Often these are the same people who show up at Tartan Balls wearing more medals than Hermann Goering...

Of course, those entitled to feathers know who the fakers are and can spot them before they smell them. How's that? Well, it's simple, really. Those who are actually entitled to feathers rarely wear them. Feathers are worn on specific occasions, and just attending a Scottish gathering isn't enough to make one put on his feathers. But the social frauds don't know that, so they show up in feathers, invent preposterous stories, and are laughed at by those who know how the game is really played.

Feathers, in a sense, are like military medals. If you are not entitled to them, don't wear them. If you do, be advised that although the real armigers may not know who you are, they will definitely know what you are.

[JSFMACLJR]

I am armigerous. I wear a feather occasionally--not often-- especially if I am acting in any sort of official capacity. I prefer not to wear an eagle feather because my crest badge is clear evidence of my status as an armiger.

PS. I didn't vote, because there wasn't a choice that read: "Yes, as an armiger I sometimes wear an eagle feather in my bonnet."

[artificer]

Often these are the same people who show up at Tartan Balls wearing more medals than Hermann Goering...

MoR FTW! This has to be my favorite inter-webz tidbit of the day

[Jock Scot]

Mike Oettle.

Mike I am well aware that a bearskin and busby are not the same thing, but as you well know many people do not know the difference and mistakenly think a bearskin is a busby, grrrr. BUT I have discovered over many years that if you mention the dreaded word alongside bearskin then they know what you are talking about------ a bearskin!

[Riverkilt]

I often wear feathers I've found in a hat. I consider feather's spiritual gifts. Very common to wear them with western hats in the western U.S. Don't wear them in Scottish headgear though.

Red Tail Hawk feathers are also illegal in the U.S. except for Native Americans.

A feather in a western style hat is, as mentioned, dashing.

[MacSaorsa]

I doubt I'd ever wear a feather in my bonnet, and definitely not a large one. I do wear a couple of Buff Orpington chicken feathers in one of these in remembrance of my late, lamented hens, but not with a kilt (yet, at least).

On the subject of feathers in the US, it's more than just eagles and red-tailed hawks. Thanks to our oh-so-thoughtful political forebears it looks like nearly any wild bird is a no-no (turkeys seem to be fair game, though).

Check out the list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Act (16 USC 703)

That's right - pick up a crow feather, stick it in your hat, and violate federal law. Ain't it grand?

[Riverkilt]

Not a lawyer, but think there's a difference between birds you can't shoot (the list) and birds you can't posess parts of unless you're Native American.

Know eagle and red tail hawk are on the later list. Can't see folks getting arrested for posessing/wearing a found feather of a "just don't shoot" bird....

Know we have some experts on this within the rabble...??

[Tobus]

Not a lawyer, but think there's a difference between birds you can't shoot (the list) and birds you can't posess parts of unless you're Native American.

Know eagle and red tail hawk are on the later list. Can't see folks getting arrested for posessing/wearing a found feather of a "just don't shoot" bird....

Know we have some experts on this within the rabble...??

Actually, I think it's true that it's illegal to possess any part of a protected bird. This includes owls and even buzzards. I get lots of buzzards on my property when a deer dies in the woods and they flock to it by the hundreds. When they're done, there's usually a whole bunch of primo buzzard feathers laying around. But I've been told (by a game warden) that it's illegal to possess those feathers.

I haven't personally independently verified that, and I know that law enforcement officers are sometimes wrong on the finer points of the law, but that's the way I understand it at this point. It's illegal to possess the parts of any protected species without a special license or permission from our overlords... err, I mean government.

[davedove]

Dave Dove (with tongue firmly in cheek, I am sure) suggested a coloured ostrich plume. Well, coloured plumes are generally associated with showgirls’ outfits, although I have seen men wearing them in blue, stuck into their broad-brimmed hats.
And when I worked on an ostrich farm I also had a broad-brimmed hat with a white ostrich plume and a smaller black (body) feather. It certainly caught people’s attention, but it was tricky getting it to work even with the broad-brimmed hat. Much to showy for a bonnet, to my mind.

Yes, it was meant to be tongue in cheek. An ostrich feather would be a bit over the top on a Scottish bonnet.

Now, on a Rennaissance style hat, it comes off as quite dashing.

[Jack Daw]

I'm not an armiger and do not wear an eagle's feather. An elderly attorney at our annual Rabbie Burns Suppers was the sort I would expect to be an armiger, and wears an eagle's feather in his bonnet to add to my assumption. But, when I asked one year if he were, he was clearly embarrassed to respond in the negative. Then, I felt embarrassed. He still wears it for the dinners only, though, so his embarrassment was only temporary.