• Question: Why Don't Birds get Electrocuted...

    Asked by courtneylouise1 to Anna, Jonathan, Samantha, Sam on 29 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Samantha Weaver

      Samantha Weaver answered on 29 Jun 2012:


      They do! They normally don’t because they are only standing on a single cable. In order to be electrocuted, they’d need to complete a circuit by touching 2 wires or the ground.

      In the same way, standing on the live rail on a train track will not electrocute you, until such a time as you touch something else at the same time.

      PS although you’d be safe, I don’t recommend trying it!

    • Photo: Jonathan Kay

      Jonathan Kay answered on 29 Jun 2012:


      And men repairing pylons and cables attach themselves to live wires, but only one at a time!

    • Photo: Angharad Davies

      Angharad Davies answered on 29 Jun 2012:


      They are more likely to get killed by the giant windmill turbines which generate some of our electricity.

    • Photo: Sam Chilka

      Sam Chilka answered on 4 Jul 2012:


      Birds can become electrocuted just like any other animal, but as Samantha says, if they are standing on a single electric cable they won’t be electrocuted.

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