The reasons why birds can perch on high-tension wires without being electrocuted

I'm sure we are always fascinated by how birds can effortlessly perch on high-tension wires without them getting electrocuted considering how dangerous electrical current can be to living things.

In this article I'll get to explain why this phenomenon can happen, firstly we need to know there are no special features attached to a bird that makes them immune to electrical shock, rather it's all about the type of contact they make or are not making with the wire.

Now according to a piece on engineering.mit.edu electrical current is the flow of electrons, it is this flow of electrons via your electrical gadgets at home like your TV, that gives them the energy needed to operate. This electron is first generated from the ground by the power station, and it flows through the various power lines around before it reaches your gadgets at home, which then travel back to the ground, thereby creating a closed loop needed for the flow of electrical currents.

After that is out of the way, lets now explain why a bird can withstand such electrical flow, peradventure a bird is perching on a single wire with its two feet, this creates an equipotential with the wire, that is the electrons inside the wires are not travelling via the body of the bird, and since no electrons are moving, it also means there is no electrical current for electrons to move, in this case, the bird is safe while it's perching on the wire.

Furthermore, when a bird is perched on an electric wire, it is not in contact with any other object that is touching the ground, this makes the electrical current reside only in the power lines, in a situation where this same bird sits on the wooden pole that is holding the power line and then touches the wire then a potential difference is created, which then opens a way for electrons to flow through the body of the bird which will cause it to be electrocuted.