why don't birds get electrocuted on power lines?

Answer 1

coz their legs r not long enough 2 stand on 2 wires, at once.
connection would kill!

Answer 2

Because when a person touches a power line and gets electrocuted, it is because they are touching the ground... the charge goes into the ground via the person and the difference in charge (I think) causes damage to the person.

The bird is not touching the ground, just the wire, and so the electricity passes through the wire not being able to go to ground, and the bird survives...

Answer 3

Most birds will not get electrocuted when perching on a single overhead power line as long as their wingspan is less than the centre to centre distance of the power lines. If their wingspan is wide such as a Swans or an Eagle electrocution could happen. Swans have been known to collide with the power lines and get electrocuted because of their wingspan, and nose to tail feather length.

Answer 4

They would if they connected with two power lines together. I witnessed a bird being electrocuted by railway overhead power lines at Harrow and Wealdstone Railway station many years ago. It was standing on the overhead line when it at temped to fly off, it's wings must of connected to both wires and it literally caused a hell of a bang I thought it was an explosion of some kind at first until I saw the bird fall onto the tracks dead.

Answer 5

The correct answer is that the birds do not form a part of an electrical circuit, an electrical circuit is neccasary for current to flow. If the bird touched two cables at the same time that would form a circuit. If the bird was connected to the earth as well as just one cable that would form a circuit back to the power source via the earth.

Answer 6

power lines are insulated, from the poles at each end,

provided a bird does not touch the ground,,
or anything that is connected to the ground,
at the same time, as they sit on the wire ,

they will not be electrocuted .

Electric current has to pass through to earth, for it to become "live"
.
>^,,^<

Answer 7

Contact must be made between a power line and something that is connected to the earth.Then the electric current passes through the bird. In instances involving those big lines high above on steel towers that carries such Strong current that something several feet from both the line and the metal can receive enough electricity to kill.

Answer 8

Because they are not earthed... If you dropped from a Helicopter onto a power line without touching the ground you wouldn't get electrocuted either.

Answer 9

This is just for a laugh!
When the trams were first installed in Blackpool, an old lady was seen to be crossing the road being very careful to avoid the tramlines.A tram inspector saw her and asked her if there was a problem. She replied that she was afraid of getting an electric shock from the track. The inspector replied that as long as she didn't put the other foot on the overhead wire, she would be safe, so the old lady went away happy .( It's old but topical )

Answer 10

beacuse they are not connected to the ground while touching the line... if they were they would be (literally) earthed and the powerline current will go through their bodies into the earth.. and seriously harming them in the process.. I am seriously they may even die.. poor birds.. but hey.. they are high up and aren't in any (direct) electrocution danger.

Answer 11

They would need to be in contact with the ground as well for the electricity to pass through them. As it is, the current takes the fastest route to the ground, which does not include passing through the bird on the wire. If you were to tie a kite string to the bird, though, and it landed on the wire, the kite string would touch the ground, causing a faster route for the current to flow through and the bird would be harmed.