Finches Discovered in Hair Rollers at Airport

Officials at a New York airport thwarted an arriving passenger’s bird-brained attempt to smuggle live finches into the U.S.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport discovered the birds on Sunday, during a secondary search of the arriving traveler’s luggage. Inside, officers found a total of 29 finches "concealed in hair rollers," the CBP confirmed.

Under the advisement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, CBP officials seized and quarantined the birds before handing them off to USDA Veterinary Services.

Under the advisement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, CBP officials seized and quarantined the birds before handing them off to USDA Veterinary Services. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

As stated in the release, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says birds which are improperly imported into the U.S. pose the risk of spreading bird flu to the poultry industry. Any shipment of more than six birds is considered commercial, according to the USDA.

As strange as Sunday’s incident may seem, it isn’t the first time the CBP has been forced to confiscate shipments of finches arriving from Guyana at JFK International Airport. In 2018, an arriving passenger was stopped with 70 finches in his carry-on luggage, and in 2019, a Connecticut man returning from South America was found to be smuggling 34 finches.