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
That is to warn birds so that large flock of birds do not fly into the power lines. Also helicopters.
The answer is yes they can touch one another when there on power lines
Usually they don't.
Birds do not get electrocuted when sitting on power lines because they are not completing a circuit for electricity to flow through. The electricity in power lines travels in a closed loop, and birds are not grounded so there is no path for the electricity to flow through them. Additionally, most power lines are insulated to prevent electricity from leaking out.
Birds perching on power lines do not get electrocuted because they are not completing a circuit by touching another conductor. The power lines are insulated and the birds' legs are not close enough together to create a path for electricity to flow through their bodies.
Charles A. Goulty has written: 'Birds and power lines' -- subject(s): Bibliography, Birds, Conservation, Electric lines, Environmental aspects, Environmental aspects of Electric lines, Flight
Smaller birds can fly through the gaps in power lines and bigger birds get stuck when they try to go through.
Ground
Birds are not good conductors of electricity. Their cells and tissues do not offer electrons an easier route than the copper wire they are already travelling along
Yes, if one power line has a sufficient voltage difference to the first power line, the bird can be electrocuted. Normally, a bird has both foot one wire only, which cannot complete an electical circuit. In that case no electricity can flow through the bird. It often happens that a large bird such as an eagle or condor have wingspans of eight feet or more, and can touch two different power lines at the same time. Many birds have been found dead from this form of electrocution. For this reason, many newer power lines have greater spacing than the eight to ten foot wingspan of large birds.
I took coils of roofing nails and uncoiled them to make a strand of nails and zip tied them,point up, to my cable and phone lines that are overhead. But would not recommend this for your homes overhead 240/120v electric line. IMO
Actually if we were to sit on a power line and not touch anything else like the birds do we would not get electrocuted.The current a flow of electrons,flows along a path of least resistance the electrons want to get to where they are going in the easiest possible way. Electricity flows from one voltage to another value of voltage. For the birds, the power lines have the same voltage -- so the birds are safe. Don't approach power lines, because humans come from the ground, which is a sink for the current.