Yesterday we mentioned Steven Rinella, a bird-killing dinner-party thrower and the author of The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine. Turns out he could easily transition from cuisinist to criminal. Rinella recently hunted a number of small Brooklyn critters, including two sparrows and a few mourning doves, and gathered a couple of the literary world's more cavalier eaters for a dinner party. According to the Audubon Center, among the common sparrow species that call Brooklyn home are the field sparrow, the swamp sparrow, the song sparrow and the American tree sparrow. And those who kill migratory birds are not only making Baby Jesus weep, they're breaking the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C.

703-712).

Very handily, the Times issued a correction to their story of yesterday, noting that Mr. Bird Kill was holding a song sparrow "which was later released; it was not one of the English sparrows that were cooked, and are not protected."

Lucky thing! Probably true!

But what if our anti-hero Rinella misidentifies a bird? He does hard time.

According to the long arm of the law, "it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture or kill; attempt to take, capture or kill; possess, offer to or sell, barter, purchase, deliver or cause to be shipped, exported, imported, transported, carried or received any migratory bird, part, nest, egg or product, manufactured or not."

And what happens if you do hunt or kill these adorable feathered bundles of love? According to the Act, "a person, association, partnership or corporation which violates the Act or its regulations is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of up to $500, jail up to six months, or both." But Rinella shouldn't be too worried. "The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Security Prison" has a nice ring to it.