• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Raptor arson (1 Viewer)

Wow! I wonder who else among the avian multitudes spreads fire in this way. Black-backed Woodpeckers, maybe (if feasible for such small fry, that is)?
 
I know there are several species of birds that have learnt the use of tools for extracting food etc but this is a whole new ball game. I presume the aim of the exercise is to flush prey out into the open?

I wonder if this is the origins of the myth of the phoenix or is it a more recently learnt behavior?
 
Nutcracker said:
Yes :t:

So far, avian arson is only reported from Australia, so that's impossible on current data. But if the behaviour is discovered more widely in hot dry countries, then, one does wonder.
Click to expand...

A scientist at AWC Mornington Camp (Western Australia) mentioned to me in September 2017 that Black Kites attending a bush fires had been observed carrying smouldering small branches and depositing them in unburnt areas. I presumed a paper was in the offing, but this isn't it.

I have a vague and likely unreliable memory that this behaviour was mentioned in passing in one of the Arthur Upfield novels set in the outback.
MJB
 
MJB said:
A scientist at AWC Mornington Camp (Western Australia) mentioned to me in September 2017 that Black Kites attending a bush fires had been observed carrying smouldering small branches and depositing them in unburnt areas. I presumed a paper was in the offing, but this isn't it.

I have a vague and likely unreliable memory that this behaviour was mentioned in passing in one of the Arthur Upfield novels set in the outback.
MJB
Click to expand...

Worth reading the paper, you can get it easily via sci-hub. Lots of past anecdotal literature on it, including a lot from local Aboriginal wisdom, which is where Upfield got it from I'd guess. What's odd is that it has been ignored / discounted for so long by scientific investigation. Well, perhaps not really, it is pretty astonishing, and hard for a sceptic scientist to believe!
 
I was relating this to a friend of mine at the weekend and he told me that when he was in Cuba many years ago he observed both Barn owls and Mississippi kites (a first for Cuba to boot!!) circling around the perimeter of fields where they were burning sugar cane stubble. whilst not actively spreading the fire, they were undoubtedly waiting to pounced on any prey that fled the fire.

That made me wonder if anyone had seen similar behavior here in the UK (or elsewhere) from raptors back in the days when stubble burning was permissible?
 
Nutcracker said:
Worth reading the paper, you can get it easily via sci-hub. Lots of past anecdotal literature on it, including a lot from local Aboriginal wisdom, which is where Upfield got it from I'd guess. What's odd is that it has been ignored / discounted for so long by scientific investigation. Well, perhaps not really, it is pretty astonishing, and hard for a sceptic scientist to believe!
Click to expand...
? I couldn't dig it easily with a quick look - if someone can find it could they post the full paper pdf here ?

I guess I'm not as surprised by this behaviour since over here (even outside of indigenous culture) it is a "given".

I'm pretty sure (though not 100%) that the behaviour has even been filmed as part of a documentary .... (it was long ago - can't remember the title)

I would be very interested if the widespread Black Kite exhibits this type of behaviour elsewhere in the world ? Suitable habitats of the sub-continent and Africa would have to be prime candidates ....


Chosun :gh:
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

Richard Klim
Burrowing Owl
Replies
13
Views
2K
mb1848
mb1848
Fred Ruhe
Hesperornithiform Birds from Arkansas
Replies
0
Views
846
Fred Ruhe
Fred Ruhe
Richard Klim
Willow Flycatcher
Replies
9
Views
4K
Bartgeier
B
P
Japanese Bush-Warbler
Replies
16
Views
2K
mb1848
mb1848
Richard Klim
Guianan Gnatcatcher
Replies
6
Views
3K
Peter Kovalik
Peter Kovalik

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top