How to Choose a Bird Bath

Red-winged Blackbird in a Bird Bath

A bird bath provides songbirds and other wildlife with a vital source of drinking water and a convenient place to bath, and will draw bird to your yard like a magnet. Here's a quick guide to picking out the best bird bath for your yard.

Things You'll Need

• A secluded spot in your yard
• Scrub brush for cleaning
• Bleach (optional)
• Stones (optional)
• Fountain (optional)
• Bird bath heater/de-icer (optional)

Instructions

1. First, decide where you would like to place your bird bath. Birds generally prefer a quiet, secluded spot, as opposed to some place out in the open. Place your bird bath nestled in amongst some trees or flowers, and if you have birdfeeders in your yard as well, it's best to position the bird bath nearby.

2. The most common type of bird bath is a saucer on top of a pedestal, but this design is actually not very attractive to birds. Birds prefer to bathe on the ground, and a shallow dish directly on the ground will bring more birds to your yard. Wild bird supply stores and garden centers sell a wide variety of ground level bird baths. Another option is to simply invert a clean garbage can lid and fill it with water.

3. If your bird bath is more than two inches deep, you might want to place a few large stones inside of it. Not only will this stabilize your bird bath, but it will also create perches for smaller birds and will provide traction for any smaller critters like mice or voles that slip into the water. Place the stones near the edge of the bird bath, leaving room in the middle for larger birds to bathe.

4. Running water is very attractive to birds. Consider adding a small fountain or drip tube to your bird bath. Look for these in bird supply stores.

5. Bigger is better. If you have room to dig a small pond or other water feature to your yard, go for it. Local birds and wildlife will thank you. If you have a naturally moist spot in your yard, consider turning it into a rain garden. This is good both for the birds and for the soil.

6. In the winter, birds in the wild will usually eat snow for moisture, but if you live in a cold climate, consider investing in a heated bird bath or an electric bird bath de-icer to provide birds with fresh water year round. A low-tech solution is to purchase dark colored bird baths, which will naturally gather the sun's heat and will keep the bird bath water liquid when the air temps get chilly.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to replace any standing water every two or three days. This will keep the water clean and also helps prevent mosquito eggs from hatching.

• Any plastic or ceramic bird bath will have to be cleaned regularly. Scrubbing off any algae with a stiff bristled brush every time you refill the water is good maintenance. You might also want to give it a more thorough cleaning once a year with a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach, nine parts hot water). After using bleach, make sure you rinse the bird bath out very thoroughly and let it dry completely in the sun before refilling it. You should also wash your bird bath out with bleach if you see obviously sick or diseased birds using it.