# Avian Arsonists

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 20, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087 "2018-01-20T23:57:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087/1 "2018-01-20T23:57:12Z")

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Giving further credence to the notion that every living thing in Australia is trying to kill us, there’s now a new threat to worry about: [raptors starting wildfires](https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/australian-raptors-start-fires-to-flush-out-prey).

Birds of prey in the Northern Territory pick up burning sticks from wildfires and drop them into areas of unburnt grass to start new fires, in order to flush out prey. Apparently the locals have known about this behavior for many, many years, but scientists have up 'til now been reluctant to accept the observations of Aboriginal Australians.

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087/2 "2018-01-21T00:24:11Z")

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Call Stravinsky, he’ll know what to do!

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087/3 "2018-01-21T01:09:43Z")

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Burning Birdies  
Hot Chicks  
Phoenix  
Flaming feathers

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**Author:** ![Sveltington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@Sveltington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sveltington)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avian-arsonists/807087/4 "2018-01-21T01:54:33Z")

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I would be afraid of what those raptors would do next:eek: Keep them away from the hand grenades and other light weight armaments. No war movies for them!