METEN-MEER-ZORG, Guyana (AP) — The judges leaned in, hands clasped behind their backs. Everyone grew quiet as they stared at the two tiny black birds flitting before them, wondering which one wo ...

The small birds are commonly smuggled from Guyana into the United States, where they are prized in birdsong competitions, according to prosecutors. Ali was planning to do just that when he ...

A songbird for sale hangs in his cage on Saturday at the Stabroek Market in Georgetown, Guyana. Songbirds are popular among Guyanese, who keep them as pets or to participate in singing competitions ...

The birds don’t sing for pleasure or because they’re happy: They sing to defend their territory or attract mates. The winning bird has poise, bravado and grit.

The birds face each other as the crowd waits to see which feathered creature is the first to chirp 50 times. Skip to main content. Open Main Menu Navigation. Open Search.

Others use nets, breed them in captivity or buy from street market vendors who purchase them from Amerindians who catch the birds in Guyana’s remote interior or people who smuggle them in from ...