They are nicknamed "Fire Hawks" because if they find a fire that starts from a lightning strike they'll look for a stick on fire and fly off with it and drop it in another location. All so that they can make prey run away and then they watch mice and other prey and start catching them to eat. Imagine an animal that is an arsonist. There are 3 varieties of "Fire Hawks" and they live in Australia. Of course it had to be Australia, where most of the freak animals live.
@Mamapolo2016 That's true, but the birds weren't the cause. Unfortunately, we ignored indigenous fire management practices since European settlement, so bush fires have increased in severity.
Combine that with extended fire seasons due to climate change, and we have certainly screwed up our environment.
@Bushranger I live in Oklahoma and we have Mississippi kites that migrate here in the spring and nest...the population has increased quite a bit in the past 15 years. I love those birds, they also whistle and they love to catch cicada bugs which buzz loudly when it gets hot starting in the morning. I'll hear a cicada buzzing like they are fussing and look up and see a Mississippi kite flying over going toward their nesting area. I haven't heard of any of them starting fires.
@cherokeepatti Whistling kites are found over most of Australia. They'll even take fish at times. Evolving the practice of starting fires is pretty impressive, though.
@CantExplain It's not just one species...there are two species of kites and also a falcon species that does it. I hope they don't do that stuff in the USA.
