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The short answer is they are not grounded. You can hang from a line also and not be harmed, but don't try it as if you do it wrong you can be severely hurt or killed. So what does "they are not grounded" mean? Electric current flows from high voltage to low voltage. The power line is high voltage. The earth, or ground, is low voltage. Anything in contact with the earth is also at the same low voltage. That is why there are insulators between the lines and the poles. The higher voltage the lines, the bigger the insulators. You can see this for yourself by looking at a high voltage tower versus a typical wooden power poll. When the bird lands on the line, it is only in contact with the line. There is no path to the lower voltage ground for the electrical current to flow thorugh. No current flow means no harm to the bird. People get into to trouble with power lines because they are almost always in contact with the pole or the ground when they, or something they are holding, touch the line, which means the current flows through them to the lower voltage. Note that the lower voltage does not have to be zero volts. It just has to be lower than the high voltage for the current to flow. It is not the voltage that kills you. It is the combination of voltage and current. No current or low current, no harm. When you scoot your feet on the carpet on a dry day and touch the door knob, a spark jumps and you feel a small snap. Your skin is charged up to 10's of thousands of volts, but there is very little current flow, so no harm is done. Hope this helps.
Birds can sit on powerlines without being shocked because, in order to be shocked, your body needs to be touching both the powerline and the ground at the same time, so that there is a path for current to flow.
If birds sit on a powerline, they aren't touching the ground. This means that they will not be shocked.
Another explanation
To be electrocuted you not only need a point at which the electricity enters your body but also a point at which the electricity exits your body. Because the birds are only touching one wire there is no place for the electricity to exit, and this prevents them from getting electrocuted.
Answer The resistance of the wire between the bird's feet is so low that the current passing through the conductor cannot create sufficient voltage drop to harm the bird. Should part of the bird come into contact with another line conductor, or an earthed conductor, then it will be killed.
It's because they aren't grounded and the current going through the wire, ignores the bird. A body isn't a great conductor compared to a copper wire. But when you touch the grounded part (where the transformer is), whatever that is touching that part of the wire is instantly grounded, therefore will be electrocuted.
Another thing to keep in mind, if you are ever outside of your car and a power line is on the ground, stay in your car. If you get out of the car, when your foot touches the ground the circuit is complete and electricity will be going through your body. It's your car's metal cage that keeps you safe.
becaue to be electrocuted you have to touch the floor AND the wire at the same time. because birds cant really do this they cant get electrocuted
Another Answer
For an electric current to pass through the bird's body, there must be a potential difference (voltage) across its legs. But its legs are connected to a very good conductor which means that the bird's legs must be at the same potential -no potential difference, no shock!
The bird sits touching only one line and nothing else through which electricity can flow to the ground. This means, no current flows through the bird's body.
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Why do you get shocked by power lines and birds do not?
they do get shocked the same as humans. Only if it touches 2 separate wires, if a human only touched one wire then they wont get shocked either
What are dodo birds?
the dodo bird is actually on the lines of a tucan without the colors
Why can some birds land on high voltage lines without getting shocked and and some can't?
To get electric shock, the circuit must be completed and the subject who is in the path, or who becomes the path gets shock. When a bird sits on the wire, there is no closed path or circuit hence it does not shock. Same bird while sitting on the wire, and part of its body touches the earth or ground it then will get shock.
Can I get electrocuted touching an electric pole if I'm not grounded?
First off you should not be touching any high voltage source whether you are grounded or not. A pole isn't typically dangerous, it is the wires on the pole. A path to ground is required for a current to flow. Technicians working on high voltage power line often touch the lines and ensure they are not grounded when doing so, by using special procedures. That is why birds can sit on bare power lines without getting shocked.
What is the horizontal line in the middle halfway of all these lines called?
Without being able to see the lines, I'm going to guess it's the Equator.
Why does some power lines have red plastic balls attached to them?
That is to warn birds so that large flock of birds do not fly into the power lines. Also helicopters.
What has the author Charles A Goulty written?
Charles A. Goulty has written: 'Birds and power lines' -- subject(s): Bibliography, Birds, Conservation, Electric lines, Environmental aspects, Environmental aspects of Electric lines, Flight
Why the crows are not getting electric shock while they stand on electric line?
The birds are only touching one wire and not touching any thing that provides a return path for the current back to the generator. There is a procedure for people to work on energized high voltage lines from a helicopter without getting shocked because they are only touching one wire, so there is no return path available through the person.
Why do birds get electrocuted on power lines?
Usually they don't.
Can birds touch one another when there on power lines?
The answer is yes they can touch one another when there on power lines
What is the birds wingbars?
Wingbars are prominent lines on the wings (not the underwing) .
Why are large birds more vulnerable to powerlines than smaller birds?
Smaller birds can fly through the gaps in power lines and bigger birds get stuck when they try to go through.
