heres the law they were acting on:

"""MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT
16 U.S.C. §§ 703-712, July 3, 1918, as amended 1936, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1986 and 1989.
Overview. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act implements various treaties and conventions between the U.S. and Canada, Japan, Mexico and the former Soviet Union for the protection of migratory birds. Under the Act, taking, killing or possessing migratory birds is unlawful.

Prohibited Acts. Unless permitted by regulations, the Act provides that it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture or kill; attempt to take, capture or kill; possess, offer to or sell, barter, purchase, deliver or cause to be shipped, exported, imported, transported, carried or received any migratory bird, part, nest, egg or product, manufactured or not. Subject to limitations in the Act, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) may adopt regulations determining the extent to which, if at all, hunting, taking, capturing, killing, possessing, selling, purchasing, shipping, transporting or exporting of any migratory bird, part, nest or egg will be allowed, having regard for temperature zones, distribution, abundance, economic value, breeding habits and migratory flight patterns. Regulations are effective upon Presidential approval. §§ 703 and 704"""


If it was a captive bred bird as somone on here stated then the Rear facing toe on the birds right foot would have been clipped off when it was a chick. There would be a evident healed scar (similar to a hatchery salmon).

The idea of the law is that the feds dont want people capturing wild birds and then sell them for profit. All migratory birds ie. ducks and geese fall under this law as well as under section 50 CFR 21.

The Law aside, I think this is ridiculous that 2 agents waste their time and our tax dollars on such a trivial violation as this. Its not always black and White.

For example how many speeding tickets has UndertheInfluence written to people who went thru his Radar at 1 or 2 MPH over the speed limit??? I'd bet ZERO. Were they breaking the law..... Sure they were ... But Come on ....