This June, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Officer Matthew Rubenstein recognized the musical song of a Painted Bunting in Collier County. The problem? This colorful songster should have been breeding far to the north. Following his ears and his suspicions, he discovered a male bunting kept illegally in captivity.

Songbird trapping has been illegal in the United States since the passage of the Migratory Bird Act, but nevertheless, a profitable black market in songbirds continues…