Four Palestinian men allegedly attempted to smuggle 94 goldfinches from Jordan to the West Bank on Friday before they were caught by customs agents on Allenby Bridge, a press release on behalf of COGAT reported.
The men, all residents of Hebron, aroused the suspicion of the border control, which discovered they had the birds taped to their feet.
Goldfinches are highly intelligent and live in large flocks, which is why hunters often break the legs of a single bird, trusting that its cries for help will lure its mates to it.
The men allegedly hoped to sell the birds for several hundred shekels.The goldfinch is a rare bird and is protected under Israeli law.