It’s about why birds won’t get electrified when they’re on the wire. According to the Ohm’s Law V=IR, when you have larger resistant, you will have smaller current. because birds have much greater resistant than the wire, the electric current will be larger when passing through the wire rather than birds that’s why birds won’t get electrified. However, if there’s something connect birds with the ground, then the electric current will pass through birds and into the ground. That way birds will be electrified and die because ground has no voltage and the electric current goes from high voltage to low voltage.
Guest
Besides the resistance, if it is a big bird, the potential difference between two legs might be large enough to induce sufficient killer current. Connection to ground is an extreme example for large potential difference.