Do birds sitting on electricity cables ever get electrocuted?

Question

What's the condition for a bird to get electrocuted?

I just saw a bird fall and die from an electric shock from a cable. Poor Myena.

Answer 1

No

And good to hear a Indian Myena got killed, they are a pest species in Australia

Answer 2

so long as the bird is only touching one cable and nothing else, it will not be electrocuted. It is when the electricity tries to transfer that the danger lies. When the bird is on the cable, the electricity passes right through it, but when the bird comes close to something other than the cable, the electricity tries to jump to that something and the arc that forms burns all the way through tissue, from where the animal contacts the cable to where the animal is closest to the next contact.

Answer 3

Huh? You just said that you just saw a bird die from an electric shock from a cable, so the answer to your first question must be "yes", unless you don't believe your eyes?? The answer to your second question is that the insulation on the cable must be damaged, and that the bird was able to make contact with both the active and neutral wire, or both the active and earth wire for a shock to have occurred.

Answer 4

if the bird is sitting on one cable only and not grounded (ie also touching a post or something) then the bird will be ok. the condition for a bird to get electrocuted while sitting on an electricity cable is that it has to be grounded - also touching a pole or someting, or if it simultaneously touches another wire.

Answer 5

If they touch the cable and the ground at the same time they get electrocuted.

If the stay on the cable without touching the groung or any other conductive object they are safe.

In fact, the fatal problem arises when they close the circuit between the cable and another object connected to the ground; in this case they act as connectors and electricity passes throught them...

Therefore, you can safely hung on a cable provided that you don't touch any metal part connected to the ground (even a wet wood pole can be fatal).

Ciao,

Claudio

Answer 6

What usually causes Electrical chock (from AC power lines 220 or 110 volts) is the electrical current ,electrical current needs a complete circuit to flow, therefore the bird will not be affected because its only touches one wire and the circuit is not complete.

But in the case of very high tensions (in the order of kilo volts), the voltage itself can harm the birds, (even without touching the wire, just being close enough to these voltages can cause electrical chock).

Answer 7

It's not possible, the body has to be in contact with the ground for the "circuit" to complete and cause an electric shock. Thats why birds can sit quite happily on electric cables.

I paid attention in physics class..

Answer 8

birds dont get shock from electricity cable as they stand on one wire and the circuit is open if the current passed through it it will surely die but to make the current pass the circuit must be closed.

Answer 9

If the bird was grounded it would get shocked or if it touched two wires it would.If the bird was setting on the pole or insulator and touched the wire with its wing or foot,it would then get shocked because he grounded himself with the pole

Answer 10

NO, now listen, birds can land on any ONE wire. if they touch any other part of the electrical wires and complete the path to ground, it is doa...do u ever see a bird on a wire in the rain?

Answer 11

birds have coatings over their legs which acts as an insulator and when they sit over the wire they don't get a shock, but incase it gets damaged or they hit the wire they ll obviously get a shock. i saw crow once attached to the wire probably it had got a shock