Intentional Fire-Spreading by “Firehawk” Raptors in Northern Australia

摘要: We document Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and non-Indigenous observations of intentional fire-spreading by the fire-foraging raptors Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Whistling (Haliastur sphenurus), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) in tropical Australian savannas. Observers report both solo cooperative attempts, often successful, to spread wildfires intentionally via single-occasion or repeated transport burning sticks talons beaks. This behavior, represented sacred ceremonies, is widely known local people Northern Territory, where we carried out ethno-ornithological research from 2011 2017; it was also reported us Western Australia Queensland. Though Aboriginal rangers others who deal with bushfires take into account risks posed that cause controlled burns jump across firebreaks, official skepticism about reality avian hampers effective planning for landscape management restoration. Via ethno-ornithological...