Georgia doctor sentenced in largest-ever rare bird trafficking case

HARRIS COUNTY, Ga. – A Georgia reconstructive orthopedic surgeon and a farm worker have been sentenced in what federal authorities are calling one of the largest bird trafficking cases in U.S. history, involving thousands of rare and protected bird specimens and eggs smuggled into the country.

Collection included extremely rare eggs

What we know: Dr. John Waldrop, a 76-year-old resident of Cataula, Georgia, was sentenced this week by a federal judge in Brooklyn to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $900,000 fine — one of the largest ever imposed for violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). His co-defendant, Toney Jones of Eufaula, Alabama, received six months of probation.

Waldrop, who pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and ESA violations, had amassed an extraordinary private collection that included:

• 1,401 taxidermy bird mounts
• 2,594 bird eggs, including extremely rare and endangered specimens

Among the items were species protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) — including Nordmann’s Greenshank eggs, so rare that no North American museum is known to possess them.

During sentencing on Wednesday, Dr. Waldrop reportedly told the judge that he has started to collect custom wood carvings to replace his “obsessive hobby” of collecting birds.

Catalua is located near Columbus, Georgia. Dr. John Waldrop graduated from Augusta University Medical College of Georgia in 1974 and has practiced medicine for more than 50 years in Georgia.

Purchases made on eBay and Etsy

What they’re saying: “Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports, where he and his enlisted co-conspirators intentionally avoided permit and declaration requirements,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Between 2016 and 2020, Waldrop illegally imported the specimens from countries such as Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay, using eBay and Etsy to make purchases. When federal inspectors began intercepting shipments, Waldrop enlisted Jones — who worked on his Georgia farm — to receive packages and help obscure Waldrop’s identity. Authorities say Jones deposited more than $500,000 into a bank account Waldrop used to pay for the illegal transactions.

According to the New York Times, Dr. Waldrop also maintained a habitat for eagles on his property and he would allow local elementary schoolchildren to visit his lake house to see “Dr. Waldrop’s zoo.”

Collection to go to zoos, labs, museums

What’s next: Waldrop has forfeited his entire collection, which federal officials say represents the largest seizure of bird mounts ever recorded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Forensics Lab in its 37-year history. The collection will be turned over to zoos, research labs, and museums that include the Smithsonian Institution, according to NYT.

Dig deeper: The case was prosecuted as part of Operation Final Flight, a multi-agency federal crackdown on the trafficking of endangered birds. The USFWS led the investigation with help from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

This article by Joyce Lupiani was first published by Fox5 Atlanta on 10 April 2025. 

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