The ability to control fire is supposed to be one of human beings’ greatest achievements—but we may not be alone, or even trendsetters in our ability to do so. Preliminary research suggests that birds—specifically the Brown Falcons and Black Kites of Australia—may also use fire to their advantage when they want to. Their opportunistic adaption has nothing to do with cooking, but it has everything to do with food—the fires they supposedly set help them hunt prey. The research is not yet published or peer-reviewed—right now it’s based on the anecdotal evidence collected by Bob Gosford, an Australian lawyer who represents the interests of aboriginal people in Australia’s Northern Territory, with assistance from Penn State geographer Dr. Mark Bonta. The evidence suggests that the kites and falcons native to Australian savannah have wised up to the fact that the habitat hosts many forest fires during the dry season, and use that to their advantage. The birds pick up...