On July 19th, 2019 Officer Beatrice Parker was on patrol traveling in Lehigh Acres, when the officer observed a house with several bird cages in the front yard and in the garage. Officer Parker asked the man sitting in the drive if she could look at the birds. While looking at the birds she noticed a cage with numerous birds that she identified as buntings. Upon closer inspection, the officer located 9 Indigo buntings and 8 Painted buntings, all of which are illegal to possess under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
In addition, the birds appeared to be in very poor health. The buntings were taken to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) to be assessed and rehabilitated. Four of the birds did not survive due to the poor conditions they had been living in.
The man in possession of the buntings, Arturo Granados Frias, 66, of Lehigh Acres, was charged with multiple violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, each a second-degree misdemeanor and animal cruelty a 1st-degree misdemeanor.
The illegal trapping of native birds has long been a concern in the state, particularly in South Florida where trapping is believed to be widespread. Birds are lost from the wild population and, in many cases, maybe mistreated and are sometimes killed or injured when illegally trapped. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently approved a rule to help protect Florida’s native songbirds from illegal capture. The new rule within Chapter 68A-16, F.A.C. (Rules Relating to Birds) includes regulations regarding the use, placement, and possession of bird traps, and will go into effect later this year.
The new rule will provide an additional tool for law enforcement officers to help stop the poaching of these birds, while still allowing for lawful uses of bird traps.
Report any instances of illegal trapping to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or by email or text to Tip@MyFWC.com.