Birds know how to use fire to fly bait to hunt

Some species and in Australia seem to intentionally spread the fire to lure the target into the target.

A new study by an international team of scientists recorded many observations by native speakers and people from other places on the strategy of burning prey to the open space to hunt for black hawk (Milvus migrans), Hawks whistling (Haliastur sphenurus) and Falco berigora in the Australian wilderness, according to the International Business Times. If confirmed, the findings will prove that humans are not the only species that can use fire for their own needs.

Hawks and cut birds spread fire to easily hunt small animals running out.(Photo: Bob Bosford).

Although researchers and indigenous people know well that birds of prey ignite , whether or not they do it on purpose is still a skeptical topic. The anthropologist Bob Gosford decided to look deeper into this strange behavior and reported 20 eyewitness witnesses in research published in the December 2017 Ethnobiology magazine.

Witnesses reported that birds of prey acted alone or in combination with their fellow humans, contributing to the spread of wild forest fires, which are common in arid areas. They often tuck in the burning material and drop it down to the grassland that has not been spread by the fire.

According to witnesses, birds of prey wait nearby until they see small animals trying to run away from the fire. They will swoop down right away to kill their prey. This tactic is widely known by indigenous people in the Northern Territory, Australia, and reflected in rituals.

The new finding could help Australian authorities find appropriate measures to handle forest fires, and explain why some fires in the region spread unexpectedly from place to place.