"Australia's hatred of the Indian mynah bird ignited this week, with local councils drawing up plans for community cullings to combat the pest."

Yes, today's Guardian reflects on Australia's national horror and uproar at the seemingly intractable problem of hordes of Acridotheres tristis, or Indian mynahs, clogging the Australian landscape, crapping on our washing, and screeching at all hours of the day - not to mention costing primary industry around $300 million a year.

While it's hard to understand why the grauniad is paying special attention to this mynah news story (boom tish!), there is no doubt that it is a significant problem, the result of a past generation's daft ideas for eradicating pests by bringing in other pests to destroy them. (In the fine tradition, indeed, of The Great Cane Toad Immigration Program.)

More information on managing this invasive species from the Canberra Indian Myna Action Group, or if you just want to know about building a trap for the noisy blighters, try mynah.nelsonbay.com.