I swear Australia is just filled with real life pokemon

For those wondering, the reason the birds do this is because they are accustomed to catching the various prey that get flushed out trying to escape the flames.

The behavior was actually noticed by local aborigines who incorporated it into their legends. It's really interesting stuff.

@Shotwells
So what I’m hearing is that it’s only a matter of time until the birds develop flamethrowers.

Australia: We didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the world's been turning

@Zenon
No we didn't light it but we tried to fight it

@Zenon we didn't start the fire, a goddamn bird did

Yep. Nailed it. I mean, seriously, it's like the gods went to Australia and New Zealand and went on a huuuuge bender and then made animals. "No, no, ya gotta-- we gotta add something else! Hey, let's make it POISONOUS. And, and and and, let's give it a beaver tail! Hahahahahahah!!! --hey, hand me that bottle--"

@Ysabet heh, New Zealand was like "we don't want any of that venomous crap, we'll just have some birds"

@Ysabet I agree with you. They also must have thought to make almost everything try to kill us humans, cause if it’s not poisonous it has teeth or other such weapons to kill us with.

@Niren I’ve always been... well, “amused” seems like an insensitive word to use, but... that in a land where EVERYTHING is the deadliest variety of that thing on Earth, the biggest threat to their ecosystem was rabbits. Fluffy, fluffy bunnies almost killed Australia.

Reality is so weird sometimes.

@Ysabet
Later, an ironic god made parody animals. Many still exist.
(to quote Oglaf)

Hmmm.. What's next, kangaroos entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament? Also, doesn't Canada have a knife-wielding crab? Good job, dad.

@dudemanbro Well yes, but we're very sorry about that.

@dudemanbro Kangaroos you say ... how about them having stinger missiles?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/shoot-me-kangaroo-down-sport/

@dudemanbro We also have crow that actively interferes in murder investigations. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/10k-reward-canuck-crow-1.5269928

Short answer? yes, it was England's parenting.

Well there's no law that prohibits birds to be jerks.
That's for humans only.
Aaand it doesn't work anyway.

People of my generation who grew up in the US will no doubt remember the "I learned it by watching you!" drug PSA. Seems apropos.

@RyanW What? We haven't got firehawks in the UK! It wasn't us who gave them *that* idea. We were just sitting politely, drinking tea and eating cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off and pillaging India... I can't imagine where Australia gets his ideas from.

Wildfires DO stop if the fire spreads to a place that's already burned up. Done properly, it's a valid way to control a fire, and keep it from getting huge and unstoppable.
...Admittedly I'm a little hesitant to put my faith in the strategic abilities of a bird with a brain smaller than my thumb.

Also, who else noticed that this bird has just set its own head on fire? :P

@Hinoron In this case its actually the bird that learned prey flee from fires and become easy prey for hunting so they start their own fires to help them hunt.

@Dasneko
I knew there would be a reason... I just didn't think creating a firebreak would be it. :P

@DanishPride it must be HAWKWARD trying to convince people to protect that one

@SchrodySweden why am I not surprised at this

@VivaWorld546 What, the puns? idk

@SchrodySweden you do this every comic

@VivaWorld546 It's a tradition at this point. Tbh I'd ship me and @DanishPride if I was an outside observer who didn't know I was aro. In fact, now that I think about it it kinda reminds me of the Soriel ship from the Undertale fandom

@SchrodySweden Yeah... it would be a TWIG thing to ask for, you know.

@DanishPride well, it's quite the BURNING debate topic, that's for sure

@SchrodySweden I agree. But the world needs to stop MOCKING(bird) Australia for all its weird animals.

@DanishPride Yeah, it's not like they're asking us to FAUN(a) over them

@SchrodySweden I know! WREN will the world understand this?

@DanishPride When PIGS FLY, I guess.

((Btw did you see the other one? It was a reply to This one: #9823969))

@SchrodySweden There’s not even a FINCH of hope?

((No, I haven’t... what comic was it on?

@DanishPride Certainly not HERON this earth ((This one, about the fire hawks))

@SchrodySweden Well... now that our space for replying is pigGONE... I guess all we can do is hope.

You dump a bunch of convicts someplace and leave them largely unsupervised, you really shouldn't be surprised they come up with firehawks.