A Shocking Silence: The Tragedy on the Power Lines Outside My Window
They were the sound of my morning.
Before the coffee was brewed, before the day’s to-do list had a chance to assert its tyranny, there was the chatter. A raucous, joyful chaos of squawks, whistles, and screeches from the flock of wild parrots that had claimed our neighborhood as their own. Every day, they would gather on the thick, black power lines that crisscross the sky outside my house, a vibrant, emerald green committee meeting to discuss the day’s agenda.
They were a flash of the tropics in our mundane suburban landscape. I’d watch them preen each other, bicker over a prime spot, or launch into the air in a synchronized, swirling spectacle of color. They were loud, messy, and utterly alive. They were a part of my home’s heartbeat.
Yesterday, that heartbeat stopped.
It happened in an instant, a moment so fast and brutal it felt unreal. The morning chorus was in full swing when it was shattered by a sound I’ll never forget—a sudden, sickening ZAP. It wasn’t loud like thunder, but sharp and final, like a massive bug zapper.
A brief, terrifying flash of blue-white light pulsed around one of the transformers. A small plume of smoke, acrid and gray, puffed into the air.
And then, the silence.
It was a profound, deafening quiet that fell immediately after the crackle. Two small, green bodies plummeted to the ground below. The rest of the flock, in a panic of shrieks I’d never heard before, scattered into the sky, their usual confidence gone, replaced by sheer terror.
I stood at my window, my hand pressed to my mouth, my own heart a frozen lump in my chest. Down on the pavement lay two parrots, their brilliant feathers now dull and lifeless. The joyful energy of the morning had been violently extinguished. They had been electrocuted by the 220-volt lines they used as their daily perch.
It’s a brutal lesson in physics. An animal can often sit on a single wire without issue, as they aren’t completing an electrical circuit. But if their wingspan is large enough to touch two wires at once, or if they touch a wire and a grounded part of the pole simultaneously, their body becomes the path of least resistance for thousands of volts of electricity. The result is instantaneous and fatal.
Seeing it happen shakes you. It’s a stark, horrific reminder of how our human infrastructure, built for our convenience, can become an invisible death trap for the wildlife we share our world with. These lines, which bring us light and power and internet, are a minefield for the birds that don’t understand the invisible danger they carry.
The silence outside my window this morning is heavy. A few parrots have cautiously returned, but they are scattered, quiet, and nervous. The boisterous flock is gone. The morning feels incomplete, tinged with the memory of yesterday’s horror.
This wasn’t just a random accident; it’s a design flaw in our coexistence. It’s made me wonder, what can we even do?
After some research, I’ve learned there are solutions. Utility companies can install protective measures—insulating covers over wires and transformers, devices to discourage perching in dangerous spots, or even reconfiguring wires to provide more space. These changes can save countless lives.
So, my next step is a phone call. A call to my local power company to report what happened and to ask—to plead—that they look into installing avian protection on the lines in our neighborhood. I’ll also be reaching out to local wildlife and conservation groups for support and guidance.
Perhaps it’s a small gesture, but I have to do something. I can’t just watch the sky and wait for it to happen again.
If you have power lines in your area frequented by large birds—hawks, owls, crows, or parrots—take a moment to watch them. If you ever witness a tragedy like this, or even just worry about the possibility, I urge you to do the same. Contact your utility provider. Raise awareness. Be a voice for the creatures who can’t speak for themselves.
The vibrant green flashes are missing from my window today. And the silence they left behind is a shocking, heartbreaking testament to the price of our power.
@birdsgottafly #birdsareweird #electricshock #ibis #tiktokbirds #viraltiktok
♬ Nature Sounds – Birds – Nature Recordings & Nature And Bird Sounds