The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says it needs help from Havelock North residents to track down some "renegade" pest parakeets in the village.
The Ministry has been working with the Department of Conservation and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to remove a small population of Indian ringneck parakeets that had established in trees near Woodford House in the town.
These birds are occasionally kept as caged birds in New Zealand, but when they escape or are released into the wild, they can become a pest that can damage crops and introduce diseases to our native birds.
MPI Response Manager Lindi Eloff says the team has managed to remove what they believe are most of the birds from the wild.
"However, our sightings suggest there may be one remaining bird to remove, so we're asking local residents to let us know if they see one of these birds," she said.