House Finch Versus 161 kV – Substation 31
Why doesn’t a bird get electrocuted when it sits on an overhead conductor?
The bird and the conductor are at the same voltage so there isn't a deadly current that flows through the bird. Electrical transmissions and substations are designed so that the conductors are clear of ground to such an extent the electrons cannot jump the gap.
Consider this House Finch nest; it is inside the end of a three inch aluminum pipe carrying 161,000 volts (or 161 kV).
This is the highest voltage used in the MLGW system. The finch is so small that it will never bridge the gap, so it is free to go about its bird business in peace. What a place to live and raise a family!
So what do we know about our newest resident?
The House Finch is called the “embarrassed” finch or the “Hollywood” finch since they were once only found wild in the west. A California fancier trapped some in 1939 and tried to sell them in New York. The rub was that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects all native songbirds from being kept captive. In 1940 a fateful raid by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a pet store in Long Island allowed them to fly free in the east. The law came in the front door and the birds were released out the back. They have been spreading westward ever since. They love Tennessee and our power substations.
Now that the technical question is answered, let's turn to the philosophical one. Is this the most unsafe nest in Memphis, or the safest?
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