Birds perched on high-voltage power lines are a common sight. And as long as they just sit there, nothing will happen. But if a stray wing were to bridge the gap between another line or mast, several 10,000-volt stationary systems will short circuit. Even small amounts of bird droppings hitting the right spot can have the same effect.

And what if the animal hackers attacked the rail network’s overhead lines? Trains would stop and the whole network would grind to a halt. A more common scenario is when a bird on a high-voltage wire catches alight after receiving an electric shock and falls to the ground: this can cause a huge fire. Meanwhile, to keep pigeons away, dummy models of their natural enemies (such as owls) can be installed. But that can lead to other problems: in at least one instance, a falcon has attacked such a fake owl, causing a power outage…