Claim: Birds of Prey Deliberately Setting Wildfires

Very Interesting Birds are pretty cool to watch and really do show some remarkable behaviors. They can build nests, lol, with all kinds of interesting things sometimes not found in nature normally. They hang out around fishing boats, parks where people feed them, hang out around larger predators after a kill to get the leftovers....seems birds are pretty resourceful when they want a meal. I can believe this is possible, although pretty freaky !

I can believe these birds picked up on spreading fire. I once watched as ravens in Northern Ontario chased a Porcupine onto a highway so it would get hit by a car and become easy food.

People are getting desperate Animals and fire do not mix .
But having run out of good ideas and rehashed old ideas to death what is left ?
fire birds lolol DAAAA
should be evident were they got this idea .

Really it does make for a funny moment look how fast people jumped in saying how they them self have seen it .
Funny with 100 years of national geographic films on wild fire in every part of earth it has never been filed .
Hey its not like there is shortage of fires or birds .
But for some strange reason every fire filmed shows even animal running - flying away from fire fast as possible .

Birds picking up burning sticks lord help ATS

a reply to: ketsuko

the animals rushing out aside, dont the wildfires actually rejuvinate the soil and enrich it for the next generation of plants ?
maybe they are eco workers preparing the land for new trees

hitchcock nervously smokes on the sidelines

Sounds like evolution, the fires, the toads.
And at the same time we are de-evolving.

Orcas work as a team to force seals into turbulent shallow water so each can take a turn at catching a seal. Adult orcas teach their young this tactic too.

I have to believe the firehawk claim is possible, because it is possible.

Is it probable? I don't know. Some hard evidence like pictures or video sure would help.

a reply to: jommison

I am a professional firefighter and have worked in just about every state Parks and Wildlife or Forestry service at one point or another. I have seen this kind of thing happening right across the country at numerous wildfires.

These birds don't just show up here and there, they actually congregate and work together to flush out prey. It's actually an amazing thing to watch.

a reply to: ketsuko

I've seen similar situations.

Birds will sweep in after you mow the lawn due to bugs fleeing, they'll feed on snakes fleeing from a bushfire, and as for cane toads well i'm on team bird, the toad's poison glands are located behind the eyes so flipping them over and eating the gizzards is brilliant.

I've seen crows opening garbage bins to get to food scraps, While i'm doubtful of the firehawks (awesome name) I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

originally posted by: Ironclad3000
a reply to: jommison

I am a professional firefighter and have worked in just about every state Parks and Wildlife or Forestry service at one point or another. I have seen this kind of thing happening right across the country at numerous wildfires.

These birds don't just show up here and there, they actually congregate and work together to flush out prey. It's actually an amazing thing to watch.

I can back you up on that, it looks like they are herding their prey like a cowboy in a corral.

They position themselves at different angles and different heights, there are only two words to describe it-military precision.

originally posted by: humanoidlord
hmmm seems like someone is trying to cover up how bad humans actually are
"scientific studies" my ass

Crows and other birds know how to crack walnuts by dropping them at a traffic intersection, and letting cars break them open, so dropping a burning stick to flush out prey is no big challenge to believe. It doesn't even require a "scientific" study.
The single biggest motivation for animals to learn something is getting food.

I have a hard time believing this as well. Abstract thought and tool usage are common but fire? No. Every animal I ever knew feared both fire and the smell of smoke. I think this is a case of associating the birds who use the fire to find easy prey with causation. When I see video of it I might believe it. The Cherokee believed fire was carried by a water spider, it makes a nice myth too.

originally posted by: midnightstar
Dont believe it when I see a bird take a buring stick then I will .
sure learning how to eat a toed is one thing but NO animal other then man has every learned to harness fire .
Easy for people to say the birds are doing it now Prove it .

You do know witha wild fire the fire can jump miles with heavy fire produced wind

I wouldnt call that "harnessing" fire... But there is nothing special about fire that means non humans could never make use of it. The birds saw that animals came scattering out from the fires, witnessed how a burning ember can be transported,by wind, by a charging deer, other animals, falling trees, etc, to start new fires, and perhaps, when hungry or in need of food for chicks, they simply helped the transportation of embers in order to recreate the phenomena they witnessed. It's really not that complicated compared to other things we know they are capable of. And its nowhere near the same thing as starting a fire from scratch, like a human could potentially do.

I'm loving this. It's a spark of innovation and the beginning of utalizing energy. This could go somewhere interesting but that is all I will say to avoid looking crazy. I have theories on what is happening and what is causing it, but I see something happening.

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

but it isnt suspcious that this just happens to be something bad humans do often?