California man convicted of killing some 150 protected birds

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Northern California man has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to killing more than 150 protected birds and other wildlife.

State prosecutors said Friday that 68-year-old Richard Parker also agreed to pay $75,000 in fines after pleading guilty to crimes related to poaching.

Wildlife officers began investigating Parker last March after receiving a tip by someone who saw a man kill a hawk near the town of Standish, 135 miles northeast of Sacramento. When they searched Parker’s property, officers found 159 dead animals, most of them red-tailed hawks but also two bobcats and a mountain lion.