Pheasants might have been suitable to attack a foe in the field, but what if the enemy held a city? In this case one could use urban birds, deploying hundreds of them at a time to lay waste to enemy buildings. Here's how to make Fire Sparrows: “Hollow out apricot pits and fill them with mugwort tinder. Then capture from the enemy’s town and warehouses several hundred sparrows. Tie the apricot pits to their legs and then add a bit of fire [to the tinder]. At dusk, when the flocks fly into the city to rest for the night, they will settle in large groups in the houses and buildings, and at this moment the fire will flame up.”[1]

[1] Zeng Gongliang 曾公亮, Wu jing zong yao 武经总要, in Zhong guo bing shu ji cheng 中国兵书集成 (Beijing: People's Liberation Army Press, 1988), juan 11, huo gong (p. 512). The Chinese reads: 磨杏子中空，以艾實之。捕取敵人城中及倉庫中雀數十百枚，以杏系雀足上，加火。薄暮，群飛入城壘中棲宿，其積聚廬舍，須臾火發。