A single crow feather counts. So does a full sleeve of hummingbirds. The Bird Alliance of Oregon charges the same either way: a minimum of $10 for each bird tattoo.
It is not a real tax, and the group is careful to say so. The scheme is a humorous fundraising campaign “designed to raise funds and raise awareness about the plight of birds,” as the New York Post put it. Payment goes through a form on the Alliance’s website, the one that asks for a “minimum $10 per bird tattoo.” Donors are invited to send in a photo of the ink, and the group has said it will share favorites on social media. The Post gave the due date as August 21.
The enforcers
Anyone who dodges the levy may be penalized, KOIN reported, by the “Internal RAVEN-ue Service.” The group leaned into the gag with a video on Facebook, posted on a Wednesday, showing the sort of complaints that supposedly pour into that office from people trying to wriggle out of paying. A mock statement from one of the state’s best-known seabird residents added a note of grievance: “People have been getting by far too long, immortalizing us on their forearms and backs, without us seeing any benefit.”
Friends and relatives of the tattooed are not off the hook. The site urges them to nudge inked loved ones to “come into compliance with the tax,” or else “face the wrath of the birds.”
Why a tattoo
Ali Berman, who speaks for the nonprofit, explained the thinking to KATU. “People really connect with birds, whether they mean something metaphorically or whether they love birds, they represent something in their lives, and it’s really personal,” she said. The idea was to pair that urge to put something permanent on the body with what birds need right now. “They’re in trouble to be protected. So, why not marry the two things?”
The money is earmarked for restoring and protecting habitat, speaking up for imperiled species, running a wildlife hospital and teaching people about nature. KOIN noted that one of the animals being treated through the Alliance is Chocolate, a red-tailed hawk injured in a collision with a school window near Portland.
Response so far has been warm. Berman told the Post the response has been wonderful, with donations and tattoo photos arriving. “We’re thrilled that people like the joke and the concept, and are enthusiastic to share their body art with us while protecting birds,” she said. Online, plenty of people have posted pictures of their bird ink and promised to pay up.
Sources
- West Coast Bird Alliance of Oregon wants to tax bird tattoos to raise money (NY Post)
- Got a bird tattoo? You now owe $10 to the Bird Alliance of Oregon (KOIN)
