Crows Causing Fire

Abstract

　Crows carry candles from exterior holders at Fushimi-Inari shrine, Kyoto, Japan, and may be causing field fires. This behavior was studied through fieldwork that included making video recordings. Jungle crows carried the candles to an area within a 50-100 m radius of the study site, which had a candle holder. After stealing the candle, the crows perched in a nearby tree gnawing on the candle held in one or both feet. Then, the crows carried the candle into the forest and hid it in debris on the forest floor. No clear evidence could be obtained on how field fires were occurring, but we can speculate about the possibility of the candle still being alight when hidden by crows and so igniting the material used to cover it.