As Amended
SEC. 49-5-7. What birds protected.
(1) No wild bird other than a game bird shall be pursued, taken, wounded, killed, captured, possessed or exported at any time, dead or alive. No part of the plumage, skin, or body of any bird protected by this section or of any birds coming from without the state, the importation of which is prohibited into the United States, shall be sold or had in possession for sale in this state.
No person shall molest, take or destroy or attempt to molest, take or destroy the nests or eggs of any wild bird, or have such nest or eggs in his possession, except under the authority of a permit duly issued for scientific purposes.
(2) * * * This section shall not apply to game birds for which there is an open season under state law; birds, or parts thereof collected or possessed under the authority of a certificate duly issued for scientific purposes; or to the * * * English * * * sparrow, crow and starling or to the nests or eggs of such unprotected birds. Nor shall anything contained in this section prohibit any person on his own land or land under his control from killing or destroying any English sparrow, * * * crow, or crow blackbird, or any animal by nature destructive of gardens, crops or property of any kind. * * * This section shall not apply to introduced pheasants, which are hereby classified as domestic fowls.
SOURCES: Codes, 1930, Sec. 3882; 1942, Secs. 5838, 5868, 5869; Laws, 1924, ch. 323; 1932, ch. 123; 1948, ch. 252, Sec. 1; 1970, ch. 284, Sec. 1; 1971, ch. 315, Sec. 1, eff from and after passage (approved February 8, 1971). Amended by Laws 2000, Ch. 368, Sec. 2, SB2478, eff. from and after passage (approved April 17, 2000).
PREVIOUS VERSIONS: Pre-2000