Why don't birds get electricuted on electical lines?

Answer 1

When the bird perches on a live wire, her body becomes charged--for the moment, it's at the same voltage as the wire. But no current flows into her body. A body is a poor conductor compared to copper wire, so there's no reason for electrons to take a detour through the bird. More importantly, electrons current flow from a region of high voltage to one of low voltage. The drifting current, in effect, ignores the bird.

But if a bird (or a power line worker) accidentally touches an electrical "ground" while in contact with the high-voltage wire, she completes an electrical circuit. A ground is a region of approximately zero voltage. The earth, and anything touching it that can conduct current, is the ground.

Like water flowing over a dam into a river, current surges through the bird (or person's) body on its way into the ground. Severe injury or death by electrocution is the result.

That's why a squirrel can run across an electrical line, but sadly die when its foot makes contact with the (grounded) transformer on the pole at wire's end.

It's also why drivers and passengers are warned to stay inside the car if it runs into a downed power line. Touching the ground with your foot would complete the circuit: Electrons would flow from the wire, into the car, and through you on their way into the earth. (Inside the car you are usually protected by the car's four rubber tires, which act as insulators between car and ground.)

Likewise, birds can get in trouble with power lines if wing or wrist bones--or wet feathers--connect bare wires and grounds.

Raptors (birds of prey) are especially likely to be killed by power lines, particularly in the western U.S. In wide-open plains and deserts, power poles are often the only high perches available for hunters like Bald and Golden eagles and Great Horned owls, who survey the landscape for prey and take off into rising wind currents.

Such large birds can easily contact two wires or a wire and a transformer with their great wingspread. And raptors can easily brush against a live wire while settling onto a (grounded) pole-top. Thousands are killed by power lines each year.

How to protect big birds? Power lines can be made less dangerous by widening the gap between conducting and ground wires, insulating wires and metal parts, and moving wires farther away from pole tops. And guards can be built around favorite raptor perches.

Answer 2

Because they don't bridge between two things of different potential (voltages). There isn't much difference between the two contacts points a bird has on a single wire, so the current doesn't arc across. But if they were to touch two wires, or a wire and another object, then the current would flow from higher potential to lower potential, electrocuting the bird.

Answer 3

as we all know electricity comes with 2 different poles ( + ) & ( - ) , now assuming that the bird is standing on the ( + ) pole, well there is no way for it to get electrified unless it touches the ( - ) pole too at the same time to make a closed circuit which enables the electrons of the ( + ) line to rush through it's body trying to bond with the electrons of the ( - ) line. This is what causes electrifying.

Answer 4

A bird on a wire gets an electric charge (assuming the wire is uninsulated). But it doesn't get electrocuted because no current flows through it.

The bird's resistance is much higher than the resistance of the wire between its legs, so no current flows through the bird.

Answer 5

They aren't grounded when they just stand on one line. Birds with large wingspans can be electrocuted if they touch two lines.

I've seen documentaries on eagles and such where utility companies have put perching platforms atop power poles to prevent the deaths of larger birds.

I'd like to say they did it out of concern for the birds, but it'd be safer to bet it was to avoid getting fined for violating the endangered species act.

Answer 6

because electrocution occurs when a "short" is found between the current and the ground or another object. This short cut is made when you stick a fork in an outlet, tongue on the + and - of a nine volt, and bird big enough and unluckey enough to straddle two wires or wire to something else conductive.

Answer 7

Because they are not "grounded". Electricity takes the path of least resistance. Since the bird is not touching or near anywhere for the electricity to pass through it to, it just continues to flow throught the wire.

Answer 8

The wires are wrapped in insulation, so contact with a undamaged wire does not cause any injury. Furthermore, the birds are not grounded, so there is no complete circuit for the electricity to travel.

Answer 9

Because the electrical lines have a protective coating on them therefore prevent the birds from getting electrocuted.

Answer 10

birds land on electrical line with both feet grasping the line at the same time which allows the current to flow through them. that's why you've never seen a bird land on a line with just one foot and survive.