About 90 species of native wild birds are on sale in pet shops across the nation despite regulations forbidding their sale, the Wild Bird Society of Japan said Wednesday.
The species include endangered goshawks and falcons, society members said, adding that they are fetching prices of up to 350,000 yen.
The society surveyed retailers in 34 prefectures in May and found that about 180 stores, including 70 pet shops and 60 home centers, were selling about 2,500 wild birds in total.