My latests post at The Northern Myth – having a look at behaviour of birds around fires in the Top End. Any thoughts or anecdotes welcome!
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2011/06/28/birds-of-the-week-firehawks-of-the-top-end/
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1 comment to Firehawks of the Top End |
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Hi Bob, I have had this question on many occasions of whether the Black Kites deliberately light the fires when I was doing the raptor presentations at the Alice Springs Desert Park. I have never said that they definitely don’t do this behaviour however I always gave my thoughts which follow; I have watched numerous Black Kites and watched their behaviour when swooping down to the ground to pick up food scraps, reptiles etc….. if you watch this behaviour they snatch at the prey with their legs thrust forward and their legs are then propelled backwards as they continue their flight. The fly on briefly to see if there are any other kites that may steal their food (they are good pirates of food from other kites) and then look down to see what they have caught. If they have missed the prey and perhaps grabbed a stick, rock, etc……. they will then drop that stick or rock. Now translate this behaviour to a fire and if they missed the reptile and grabbed a stick (which may feel like a lizard??) and then realise they have missed they will then drop the stick. If the stick is smouldering or on fire it will then start another fire. From this behaviour they MAY have a learned behaviour or is it just good fortune rather than good management?? I don’t have a definitive answer but above are my observations.
regards,
Anthony Molyneux Alice Springs
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My latests post at The Northern Myth – having a look at behaviour of birds around fires in the Top End. Any thoughts or anecdotes welcome!
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2011/06/28/birds-of-the-week-firehawks-of-the-top-end/