LOS ANGELES – U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents infiltrated the odd subculture of “roller pigeon” clubs in Los Angeles and found that members were illegally killing hawks and falcons that prey on their birds, officials said Thursday.
A roller pigeon, in the eyes of those who collect them, distinguishes itself in mid-flight by doing aerobatics or rolling over. Hobbyists from around the country come together to compete and judge each team’s ability to work in unison.
But a roller pigeon, in the eyes of a hawk or falcon, is fast food.
Hobbyists in Southern California became fed up by raptors spoiling their competitions and, according to a federal indictment released Thursday, began illegally trapping and killing the predators.
Six men from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, including the president of a national umbrella group for the hobbyists, were arrested this week on charges of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The indictment was the result of a yearlong investigation in which agents with the Fish and Wildlife Service infiltrated roller pigeon clubs for more than a year. They did surveillance, placed covert phone calls, set up remote cameras and dug through trash cans.
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