There are many reasons why it is difficult to prevent fires eh…
Black Kites (Milvus migrans), along with other raptors like Whistling Kites and Brown Falcons, have been documented exhibiting fire-spreading behavior in parts of northern Australia. Indigenous fire managers and field researchers have reported that these birds pick up smoldering sticks from active bushfires and drop them into dry grassland or scrub areas not yet burning. This behavior appears to be a hunting strategy, designed to flush small animals like rodents, insects, and reptiles out of hiding.
The phenomenon, though not widespread globally, has been recognized through field observations and oral histories from Aboriginal communities, particularly among fire-savvy groups in the Northern Territory. These accounts were later supported by ecological studies published in peer-reviewed journals, which detail coordinated behavior among raptors during fire events.
The birds often wait near fire lines and take advantage of prey attempting to escape. By extending the fire’s reach with smoldering twigs, they effectively expand their hunting zone. While the action seems deliberate, scientists are still cautious about defining the behavior strictly as tool use, though it aligns closely with some definitions of it in animal cognition research.
This behavior is one of the few known examples of animals manipulating fire in the wild, and it has drawn international attention for its implications in both ecology and the study of animal intelligence. 
