Birds called ‘firehawk raptors’ are intentionally spreading fires in Australia

January 11th, 2018

Awake Goy

When you think of causes of fire in Australia, you might think of lightning or arsonists – but you probably don’t think of birds. But at least three birds of prey species spread wildfires in Australia, according to a new paper incorporating indigenous knowledge. Penn State University geographer and lead author Mark Bonta told National Geographic, “We’re not discovering anything. Most of the data that we’ve worked with is collaborative with Aboriginal peoples…They’ve known this for probably 40,000 years or more.”

Black kite, Milvus migrans, bird, birds, birds of prey, flight, flying

‘Firehawk raptors’ – the Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) – spread fire by carrying burning sticks in their beaks or talons. They can transport fiery sticks up to around one kilometer, or 0.6 miles, away, staring fires where the flames haven’t yet burned. And while indigenous people have known about this behavior for a long time, this new study published in the Journal of Ethnobiology late last year documenting the knowledge and around six years of ethno-ornithological research could help overcome what the paper abstract described as “official skepticism about the reality of avian fire-spreading.”

“Intentional Fire-Spreading by “Firehawk” Raptors in Northern Australia,” Bonta et al. Journal of Ethnobiology, 37(4) (abstract): https://t.co/JJVomc5zDy #ethnobiology #ethnoornithology #birds #fire pic.twitter.com/Bv4oSA6BpC

— Bob Gosford (@bgosford) January 1, 2018

Why would these birds of prey set fires? According to National Geographic, the blazes could help them find food as small animals and insects attempt to escape the fire. Co-author Bob Gosford told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2016, “Black kites and brown falcons come to these fronts because it is just literally a killing frenzy. It’s a feeding frenzy, because out of these grasslands come small birds, lizards, insects, everything fleeing the front of the fire.”

Black kite, Milvus migrans, bird, birds, birds of prey, head, beak

And it’s important to dispel skepticism so officials could better plan land management and restoration. The researchers hope their paper will help with fire ecology and fire management that takes into account these fire-spreading birds.

Via ScienceAlert and National Geographic

Images via Depositphotos (1,2)

Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blacklistednews/hKxa/~3/u5ExcxXTUD8/M.html

Obama Called on to Save America’s Veterans

France to deploy its only aircraft carrier against Islamic State

Chattanooga Police Fires Officer For Failure to Secure Firearms and Prostitution

Nuclear War Was Averted In 1999 By Clinton’s National Security Adviser

Arson balloons from Gaza spark 39 fires in Israeli fields as tensions continue

Intentional fires are destroying the Amazon rainforest