why do birds sitting on electric wires do not get electrocuted?

Answer 1

It all goes down to electrical resistance.

In a nutshell, resistance is the tendency to prevent any current from travelling through. The lower the resistance, the more current can come through, and shock is greater. Resistance depends on 3 things, 2 of which we will consider here:

1.The nature of the material itself. (resistivity)
2. Length of the object

In this situation, resistance = resistivity * length

Case 1
Now, a bird lands on 1 wire. Resistivity of the bird is high, resistivity of wire is low. Lengths are more or less the same (from 1 foot to the other). Effect: Bird has less resistivity, very little current (almost none) passes through bird, and bird lives.

Case 2
Bird lands on 2 wires, same resistivities as case 1. Length of wire we will consider is from the point where the bird's foot touches 1 wire, all the way to wherever it connects to, to the point in the other wire where the other foot is. So length is very large. length of bird is still the same, much shorter than wire. Effect: resistance of wire is larger that resistance of bird. Lots of current passes through bird, frying it.

Answer 2

Right, it's exactly as someone said before - because they're not completing a circuit. See, when the bird touches the wire, their body receives the same charge as the wire it's sitting on. But, the electrons won't travel through the body, because the body is a poor conductor of electricity (when compared to the copper wire). So, why would the electrons take a loner path through the body? Answer: they wouldn't, so they don't. This means that the bird doesn't get fried.

Now, if the bird touched an electrical ground, then the electrons would travel through the bird on the way to the Earth. (If you're not familiar with electricity, a ground is essetially a circuit that goes to the ground. The Earth has an overall positive charge, and the electricity has a negative charge - you know, because electrons are negative - and when the two connect, the negative charge is dissipated by the positive charge of the ground. Sidenote: this is the idea behind lightning.) But, birds don't really have the capacity to touch a wire and a ground.

Squirrels do, though - and that's why so many of them get fried, but birds don't.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Electricity flows from negative to positive, it's the movement of electrons. Bird is only touching positive. To be electrocuted it would have to have a path to the ground.

You could jump up onto the power line without touching the ground or power pole and not get electrocuted also.

I don't like working on anything hot over 240 because you do get electrocuted sometimes and 277 and up can blow your fingers, toes or whatever off. 240 and under you just have to be able to get off of it.

I'm a electrician, as long as you have good shoes on and touch just the hot wire and not lean against and not touch any thing else your OK

Squirrels usually get on transformers where the hot and ground wires are close together. I've been shocked by them also, makes me feel bad for someone in an electric chair. Because when I get hung up on it sometimes my mind goes inside like and I can feel my body going crazy but it doesn't effect the mind. Then I have to think about my hand and open it.

The typical power line running down the street has 7800v on it.

Answer 4

believe me birds get electrocuted if the just touch another wire when sitting like this. small birds logically are perfectly safe, as others explained already, because the sit on one wire and legs are not much apart. But what has been a major issue - the number of large birds - eagles, falcons, dead or worse - legs roasted alive!!! due to their attempts to sit on the poles (here i mean wooden poles where the wires are attached) where they can touch two poles (i mean electric poles) at the same time (like one wuth legs, the other with a wing ) so the current goes through them... these should be made in a way that the birds cannot get killed and the old dangerous types should be phased out asap. but it needs money

Answer 5

The only thing keeping a bird from being electrocuted is distance from a ground. It they put one foot in a wire and the other foot on the ground, then, ZAP, they complete the circuit. Squirrels, on the other hand, can complete a circuit because they can stand on a wire with their hind feet and reach for a grounding wire with their front feet, ZAP, they complete the circuit. In fact, squirrels cause more power outages than anything else. It has happen at my house more than once.

PS -The electric wires overhead from pole to pole ARE NOT INSULATED. The only thing that protects you from electrocution is distance. NEVER EVER approach a wire, in the air, or on the ground. It can kill you quicker than anything.

Answer 6

I have heard that they have insulated feet. LOL ( just kidding) Actually the birds are not grounded , meaning they are not completing a circuit so they are not electrocuted.

Answer 7

because they are like an open circuit ... the current don't get through them because the current won't have some where else to go ... beside the wires resistance is much less than the birds body

Answer 8

They aren't grounded, meaning there is no complete physical path for current to flow from the wire, through the bird, and to ground.

Answer 9

because neither the birds nor the wires are grounded. Look up ! you will see that much effort has been made to isolate and insulate wires from being grounded.

Answer 10

Because thei are touching only one pole of the power, and the electricity does not go through their body. For the current to kill you, it needs to pass through you.
If the bird uses its wings to touch ANOTHER wire, then it will fry!