Man arrested after trying to smuggle 34 finches in hair curlers
The birds are said to be particularly prized for use in singing contests in Brooklyn and Queens.
A 39-year-old Connecticut man has been caught trying to smuggle nearly three dozen live finches through John F Kennedy Airport in order to sell them for singing competitions.
Francis Gurahoo was arrested after arriving in New York on a flight from Georgetown, Guyana.
Prosecutors say customs officials found the 34 live birds in his carry-on luggage hidden inside individual plastic hair curlers.
Gurahoo was arraigned on a charge of unlawful wildlife smuggling.
Officials say the finches from Guyana are prized.
Prosecutors allege Gurahoo said he planned to sell them for about 3,000 dollars (£2,300) each, for a total haul of more than 100,000 dollars (£80,000).
Last December, customs officials at JFK Airport found 70 live finches hidden inside hair rollers in a duffel bag from a passenger arriving from Guyana.
US customs and border protection said bird smuggling could threaten agriculture through the possible spread of diseases such as bird flu.