U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents stopped a passenger traveling from Guyana to New York on Saturday, carrying 70 finches hidden inside small, plastic rollers.
The agency said in a statement that the birds have been “detained under quarantine.”
The passenger was barred from entering the United States but was able to withdraw his application for entry so that he may reapply to visit in the future, authorities said.
Although there are penalties, including fines, for smuggling birds into the country, authorities said there were no further penalties in this case.
Anthony Bucci, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency in New York, said finches are used primarily for gambling purposes — "people may bet on which bird will chirp the loudest or how many times it will chirp in a minute. It’s unclear how much finches are worth in other countries, but the small birds range in price from $18 to $25 on PetSmart.com."