Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 26, 2026
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Dutch authorities at Schiphol Airport seized 261 suspected wild parrot eggs from travelers on March 24. Discovery followed audible chirping from a bundle, revealing a hatching chick. All eggs lack CITES documentation and are now in specialized care for incubation and chick rescue.
AMSTERDAM, March 26 (Reuters) - Dutch authorities have seized 261 suspected wild parrot eggs at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport after finding them in the hand luggage of a couple flying from Central America to Asia, the Netherlands food and product safety watchdog said on Thursday.
Customs officers found the eggs on March 24, packed individually in paper and grouped in bundles wrapped in T‑shirts. When they examined one of the bundles, they heard chirping and discovered a parrot chick hatching. The bird was too young to determine its species, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said.
The Royal Military Police detained the two travellers, whose identity and nationality were not made public.
All parrot species are protected under the CITES convention, a global treaty that regulates trade in endangered plants and animals, meaning strict rules apply to the possession and trade of the birds and their eggs. The travellers had no documents proving legal ownership, the NVWA said.
The eggs and the newly hatched chick have been transferred to a specialised care facility, where the remaining eggs will be incubated and the chicks cared for.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by William Maclean)
Dutch authorities seized 261 suspected wild parrot eggs at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
Customs officers found the eggs in the hand luggage of two travellers, with one egg hatching at the time of discovery.
All parrot species are protected under the CITES convention, requiring strict documentation for legal trade and possession.
The eggs and newly hatched chick were transferred to a specialised care facility for incubation and care.
No, the travellers did not have documents proving legal ownership according to the NVWA.
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