A clan of mischievous pūkeko are driving Wayne McCarthy up the wall.

A lone apple hangs from a tree on Wayne McCarthy's orchard.

But it won't be there for long.

Eleven fruit-loving pūkeko are running rampant on his 3.8 hectare Auckland property, he said.

MAHVASH ALI/STUFF The pūkeko was named bird of the year in 2011. McCarthy says they roam in his orchard like they own the place.

"They steal our fruit, take the chicken eggs and eat the ducklings."

READ MORE:

* At war with the pūkeko

* Nothing wasted during pūkeko cull

* Cheeky pūkekos attack vegetable harvest

McCarthy said pūkeko have been wreaking havoc at his Oratia home for years.

MAHVASH ALI/STUFF Wayne McCarthy says there are 11 pūkeko causing mayhem on his property.

There were 20 pūkeko on his property, but just 11 trouble-makers had been up to no good.

He said he often found his driveway littered with broken chicken eggs – a sign the pūkeko had menaced the chickens out of their own coop.

"The chickens just give them a wide berth and let them do what they want."

He said pūkeko – crowned New Zealand bird of the year in 2011 – ran around his orchard like they "owned the place".

They were "prolific breeders" and had multiplied from just four to 11 in four years, he said.

Pūkeko were also known for their loud and unusual sounds and McCarthy said he could often hear them from inside his home.

MAHVASH ALI/STUFF Pūkeko are eating fruit and terrorising the chickens at Wayne McCarthy's property.

The sound did not bother him so much as the attacks on his orchard, he said.

McCarthy said people had offered to "take care of the problem", but he suspected that involved killing the birds.

"We're too soft-hearted for that."

"The best option would be if someone had a property with some bush or some swamp land that we could rehouse them to."

Ian McLean, of Birds New Zealand, said he was not surprised at McCarthy's predicament.

"Pūkeko are native birds, but not many people realise they are also predators," McLean said.

He said the if the pūkeko were moved to another location it was likely they would find their way back to McCarthy's orchard.

McLean said pūkeko traditionally lived in wetlands.

However, they had become a more common sight, especially around damp pastures, due to a decline in wetlands.

"They are an iconic bird, but they have some bad habits.

"They love to eat bird eggs and ducklings."

Pūkeko thrived because they lived in groups, he said.

"They look after each other and have a clan system and for that reason they're so successful."

He said pūkeko could be shot during duck hunting season, however, many people did not enjoy pūkeko meat.