Birds spread bush Fires!! (1 Viewer)

J

John o'Sullivan

Well-known member

• Feb 9, 2016

• #1

Any-one see this in the Times today. May not be true but a great story.

Apparently there are multiple reports of birds in Australia picking up embers/burning twigs and dropping them onto areas that are not on fire. It is thought that this is deliberate as the same species; black kite and brown falcon have been seen dropping bread into waterholes and then hunting the fish attracted by the bread.

That's cool

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Feb 9, 2016

• #2

When I was a kid... and I'm talking under 7, I had a book about nature, and it had a chapter called something like birds are firebrands. It was about birds deliberately spreading fires.

 

deidrahall

Birdacious

• Feb 9, 2016

• #3

Hummmm sounds like a conspiracy of the winged sort |8.|

 

F

fugl

Well-known member

• Feb 9, 2016

• #4

Fascinating. Avian behavior continues to astound. Interestingly enough (and as you may have seen), a possible case of "aerial baiting" by a British Kingfisher was reported here on BF recently.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3336782#post3336782

 

Greg McKay

I like the pretty colors

• Feb 10, 2016

• #5

Yep sounds right

In Aus we do planned burns to minimise the effect of wildfire. Raptors especially Black Kites have learned this and hawk patrolled burns. So when a burn produces little prey for them they will pick up a charred stick and reignite a fire elsewhere.