Police Crackdown On New York Finch Singing Contests

Finch singing competitions have long been a popular cultural pastime in parts of South America and the Caribbean. For decades, immigrants from Guyana and other countries in that region have been holding what they term "bird racing" (actually speed-singing) competitions in New York public parks.

In nature, two male chestnut-bellied seed finches (Oryzoborus angolensis) will compete with each other in a kind of "sing-off" for the attention of females. In a "bird racing" contest, cages containing two competing birds are hung on a pole. Judges make a count as each bird sings; each pause in a bird's rapid-fire singing denotes one 'song'. The first bird to fifty songs is the winner.

"Oryzoborus angolensis" by Dario Sanches from Sao Paulo, Brasil - CURIO (Sporophila angolensis // Oryzoborus angolensis). Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The finches, known as "towa towa" in Guyana, are highly prized amongst enthusiasts and breeders in the United States. Depending on their pedigree, they can fetch prices of up to $10,000. Although it is not illegal to import Oryzoborus angolensis, doing so involves a lot of expense, red tape, and a 30-day quarantine period which trainers say is detrimental to their fitness. As a result, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service investigates six to eight finch smuggling cases in the New York area each year. Authorities also suspect that the gatherings for "bird races" in New York City parks involve illegal gambling.

There's a great New York Times article on the contests here: Tiny Birds, Big Drama: Inside the World of the Birdmen of Queens