The poor birds were stuck inside the uncomfortable hair curlers for the entire six-hour flight, plus all of the additional travel time throughout each airport. They were no doubt confused and terrified, and it was hard to believe someone could treat so many animals with such cruelty.
Gurahoo had smuggled the birds all the way from Guyana so that he could attempt to sell them to be used in singing competitions throughout Brooklyn and Queens, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. During the competitions, two finches are pitted against each other, and a judge determines which one is the better singer. People bet on the birds throughout the competition, and a winning finch is highly sought after.