Prosecutors in Mexico had received a tip that a man was transporting wildlife, but hardly expected to find 244 parrots stuffed into mesh bags and boxes.

The attorney-general's office said Friday the man was carrying nine boxes in the luggage compartment of a bus on a highway in the southern state of Chiapas.

It was unclear what he intended to do with the birds, who were packed so tightly they could barely move.

The office identified the birds as white-fronted parrots, but the national commission on protected nature areas later identified them as red-lored parrots.

White fronted parrots are under special protection but are not considered endangered; red-lored parrots are considered endangered.

The suspect was arrested on charges of trafficking wildlife. If convicted, he could face one to nine years in prison.

The commission said all the birds were released into the wild Friday in Palenque, Chiapas.