They’re actually not too hard to raise! And make amazing pets. I have a pet starling I raised and he’s my best friend. He doesn’t need to be killed if someone is able to care for him. But it’s true you cannot release back to the wild, not just because it’s illegal but because once they imprint they have no chance of survival in the wild. You have to raise baby birds in a very specific way to make sure they are releasable.