[Freddy]

We've chatted about this before, but this is another (unusual) example of bird intelligence.

It's pretty hot in Australia right now. A brutal heatwave that's incinerated temperature records threatens devastating bushfires – and to make matters worse, authorities have to contend with an ancient breed of flying arsonists that may as well be miniature dragons.

A new study incorporating traditional Indigenous Australian ecological knowledge describes the largely unknown behaviour of so-called 'firehawk raptors' – birds that intentionally spread fire by wielding burning sticks in their talons and beaks.

http://www.sciencealert.com/birds-intentionally-set-prey-ablaze-rewriting-history-fire-use-firehawk-raptors

[Art]

Perhaps it really isn't the A.I. that we need fear after all! 

[onthecuttingedge]

well, it is a good way to flush out game, aboriginal fire birds sound cool, lol

[keghn]

Mesmerising footage captures the ebb and flow of 10,000 starlings in Ireland as they gracefully blanket the sky in perfect harmony


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5316719/Mesmerising-footage-catches-starlings-acrobatic-flight.html 

 Collective swarm logic.   

[8pla.net]

In theory, early humans controlled natural wildfires...

These wildfires would cause animals to scatter, making them easy pickings for early humans waiting on the periphery. (Other animals, such as hawks, are known to engage in such behavior.)

Citation: https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/07/23/how-and-when-did-humans-discover-fire

Wow, has anyone heard about African Grey Parrots making word association in their responses?

[keghn]

Crows 'Hooked' on Fast Food:

https://www.voanews.com/a/crows-hooked-on-fast-food/4218509.html