A federal magistrate judge in Des Moines convicted a Huxley man on Jan. 27 for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by intentionally striking two Canada Geese with his vehicle.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at the bench trial, Wyatt Christian Greenfield, 19, knowingly and intentionally struck two Canada Geese with his vehicle near NE 70th Avenue in Ankeny, Iowa, on March 3, 2026. Greenfield was driving his truck eastbound and accelerated and swerved to strike a Canada Goose in the westbound lane before swerving back to the eastbound lane to strike a second goose.
The Canada Goose is a migratory bird protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service maintains a list of birds protected under this act. Greenfield faces a maximum sentence of up to six months imprisonment or a five-year term of probation, up to a one-year term of supervised release, and up to a $15,000 fine. A date for sentencing has not yet been set.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa covers civil and criminal cases within its jurisdiction through facilities in Des Moines as well as Davenport and Council Bluffs courthouses; it operates under the United States Department of Justice with 24 prosecutors serving victims and witnesses across these locations, according to the official website.