The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced the arrests of four men from Miami-Dade County, all of whom have been charged with illegal possession of migratory birds.  One of the dirtbags was a repeat offender who could face enhanced penalties.  Released into the wild were twenty birds, mostly Painted Buntings and Indigo Buntings, but including one Northern Cardinal.

“These birds do not belong in captivity; they belong in their natural habitats to proliferate and continue the species,” said FWC Lt. Jay Marvin. “The public should be aware that trapping, possessing, buying and/or selling these birds is a violation of state and federal laws and can result in hefty fines and possible jail time.”

Isn’t the pet trade grand?

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.