Birds rescued, set free
April 9th, 2010 by admin
Painted buntings are among the most beautiful birds in Florida. In our opinion, they are even more beautiful in flight. Fortunately- at least for buntings and other migratory birds visiting Florida- caging them is a crime.
This week the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued a news release about the recent arrests of four men in Miami-Dade County for illegal possession of migratory birds. The men had trapped 20 songbirds. It is believed that the birds were to be sold into the pet trade.
The arrests were good news, but we were thrilled to read that the birds- 19 buntings and one cardinal- were released back into their natural habitats. FWC Lt. Jay Marvin explained, “These birds do not belong in captivity; they belong in their natural habitats to proliferate and continue the species.”
Click here to read the FWC news release and see photos of the traps used to capture the birds.
It was a similar story a few weeks ago, when an FWC officer found two cardinals in a cage at a home in Lakeland. A man was cited for illegally possessing the birds, and the two birds were released.
The FWC is asking the public to report suspicious activity or any people with small, wooden bird traps. Call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at (888) 808-3922.