Birdbath Tips
A staple feature for backyard birders everywhere, birdbaths provide another useful resource for many species of birds. Before opening your wallet, or building your own birdbath, keep in mind some tips to help you provide the best birdbath you can to your backyard friends.
- Depth: Birdbaths do not need to be deep, and in fact should be relatively shallow (2-3 inches) to provide smaller birds access. If your birdbath is deep, consider providing stones, or creating areas that make parts of the bath more shallow.
- Height: Birds are used to finding water close to the ground (lakes, ponds, puddles) so your birdbath should mimic this natural placement.
- Cover: Close to your birdbath should be shelter, or cover for birds to provide protection from predators. Bushes, brush piles and trees provide good natural cover.
- Cleanliness: Keep the birdbath, and the water clean. Regular use by birds will result in waste build up, so keeping your birdbath clean is key to keeping birds happy and healthy.
- Movement: Motion, or moving water will attract passing birds. Solar powered bubblers, or integrated fountains are two good options for keeping the water moving and cleaner.
- Shade: Shade will keep the water, and the bird visitors cool during warmer months or sunny days.
- Freezing: If you live in a cold-weather environment, using a heater to keep the water from freezing is a great idea to keep your non-migrating birds happy.
- Perch: Provide an integrated, or nearby perch to allow easy access for different species of birds.
- Placement: Keep the birdbath away from windows (to avoid collisions) and be careful if placing in a garden as bird waste can build up, effecting your soil PH.
- Multiples: Once you have one birdbath, consider another to be placed in another location, with different “features”. This will ensure a wide variety of species and may reveal ideal placement.
Check out our sweet custom birdbath custom made by a family member:
check out this hand crafted birdbath made by local artisan Ryan Sverid – durable, beautiful and one-of-a-kind #handmade #birding pic.twitter.com/0xyNNpRde0
— You Do It Suet (@YouDoItSuet) February 15, 2017
