Why do bats die of electric shock when hanging from electric wire but not birds?

DWQA QuestionsCategory: General ElectricalWhy do bats die of electric shock when hanging from electric wire but not birds?
Munish asked 6 years ago
1 Answers
How Engineering Works Staff answered 6 years ago

Birds also die of electrocution. The thing is current always need a closed path to flow.
There is a gap between the 3 phase wires of the poles. The voltage of the wires are same but there phases are different so when a bird say sitting on 1 wire elongates its wings and the wing gets accidentally touched with the adjacent wire , current passes through the bird.
Same happens with bats. As their total height is more as compared to a bird they get electrocuted very easily.
There are two ways by which a current can flow through a wire. 1st way is if it gets in contact with the other phase wire and 2nd way is if gets in contact with ground.