The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is calling for a ban on the sale of a tree that kills birds.
The Parapara, or Bird-Catcher tree, is a dense shrub that causes a painful and slow death when its sticky seeds and tangle of branches stick to feathers.
Auckland SPCA chief executive Bob Kerridge says hundreds of birds are killed every year by the Bird-Catcher tree which is attractive, but deadly.
Kerridge says the Parapara tree does not grow naturally in the region and the SPCA is campaigning for a ban on its sale in garden centres.
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But the Nursery and Garden Industry Association says there needs to be a lot of evidence a plant is detrimental before it is taken off the market.