The Ministry for Primary Industries has placed a $1000 bounty on the head of the aggressive pest bird the red-vented bulbul.

The MPI is working with the Department of Conservation and local authorities to eradicate the introduced pest and is calling on Bay of Plenty local to report any sightings of red-vented bulbuls.

A single red-vented bulbul bird was found and removed near Te Puke earlier in the year, while the MPI has also received an as-yet unverified report of a single bird being spotted near Katikati.

MPI Response Manager Brad Chandler says the bird is native to Asia and is renowned for the damage it inflicts on fruit and vege crops.

'It's not a bird we want in the Bay of Plenty with its extensive kiwifruit industry and other horticultural crops. In addition, it competes aggressively with native birds for food and is known to chase and attack them."

'We are very keen to hear from anyone who believes they have seen one of these birds. We're taking this seriously and there's a $1000 reward on offer for information that leads directly to a successful removal by a member of our response team.”

In recent years MPI has eliminated small populations of the bird from areas in Auckland. While red-vented bulbuls are established in Australia and on some Pacific islands, they're not likely to have flown to New Zealand but it's possible they have stowed away on large-sized sea vessels.

Red-vented bulbuls are a medium-sized bird measuring 20cm in length and are generally dark brown/grey coloured with a lighter chest and rump, a small crest (upstanding feathers) on their head, and significantly, a very distinctive crimson-red patch of feathers beneath their tail.

'This red patch is the key identification feature. If people have seen a bird with these crimson-red feathers beneath the tail, we'd like to hear from them. A good indication of location as well as a photo would be fantastic.

'I can't stress enough how much of a pest these birds are and how significant the threat they pose to horticulture. They may appear cute or novel, but they're anything but.”

If you believe you have seen a red-vented bulbul report the sighting to the Ministry for Primary Industries by calling its 24/7 Exotic Pest and Disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

When making a report make sure to include how many red-vented bulbuls you've seen, where you saw them, the time of the sighting, which direction they were flying (if airborne), and what they were doing.

For more information about the red-vented bulbul visit the Ministry for Primary Industries website.