Birdbaths

Most of us have used the phase "I'm going to take a quick bird bath and freshen up"meaning we're just going to splash some water on our face and get going.  In reality wild birds take baths seriously.  Just watch.  Wild birds splash water all over themselves making sure they got all their feathers wet.  If wild birds feel safe and "comfortable" they'll enter the water several times.  So what makes wild birds comfortable to use the birdbath?  What or how do we attract wild birds to water features such as the birdbaths?  Why do wild birds  need  birdbaths?  Many of us have seen sparrows or robins splashing in the puddles along the roadside.  The birdbath doesn't need to be fancy.  Wild birds don't care if the birdbath is fancy,colorful,glass,cement or plastic.  It does matter to you and the landscaping that is in place.  We all want our yards to look attractive or appealling.  Placing  birdbaths in a boring area of the yard or on a cesspool cover with a few flowers can help make those areas attractive.  Wild birds are attracted to the birdbath for a couple of reasons.  First and most obvious is it holds water an essential need for  life.  Other reasons  wild birds are attracted to birdbaths are for cooling down,cleaning and a little fun .."swimming".  Birdbaths can be used all year long but their function changes form season to season.  Birdbaths are considered water features along with ponds, streams and fountains.  The focus of this blog will be on birdbaths  because every yard can't have a stream or pond but every yard can accommodate  birdbaths of some style and size.  Birdbaths come in many styles ranging from shallow dish types to elaborate birdbaths with fountains or wigglers.  To attract a wild bird's attention or curiosity more quickly add a drip water system or a circulating water pump to the birdbath  A small solar fountain will also add a nice touch and will create noise which will attract wild birds and make them want to explore where the noise is coming from. The dish or the basin of the birdbaths should be no more than 2 inches in depth, anything more wild birds will not use it.  If the depth is more than the 2 inches a rock or dish placed in the basin will make the birdbaths more appealing.  Birds like sure footing so make sure the floor of the birdbaths are rough.  For the pretty glass dish birdbaths put gravel on the bottom.  As with  feeders, initially place the birdbath in an open space about 4-6 feet away from shrubs or trees.This allows  the birds to see a predator approaching and allows it time to fly.  A wet bird is heavy so the short distance to fly to safety is crucial.  In choosing a spot for the birdbath keep in mind you want to see the birds being attracted.  Placing the birdbaths at various heights will draw different birds.  Songbirds tend to prefer birdbaths and feeders at the height of a shrub or small tree.  A pedestal birdbath or a  dish mounted on a stake works well to acheive the "shrub" height  This group includes cardinals, jays, bluebirds and vireos.  Ground birds such as towhees, doves, robins and quail prefer their birdbath(shallow dish  type) on the ground  or about 1-2 inches off the ground so it resembles a puddle  Hummingbirds and goldfinch like to fly through fountains, sprinklers and misters to get their bath.  Some wildbirds like dust or dirt baths. So for these birds offer a birdbath with dirt or sand or mud in a shallow dish.  With the exception of drinking water a dirt bath offers the same functions as a water bath.   Wild birds throw dust or silt over their feathers to rid themselves of parasites, lice, mites and excessive oils.  While doing this the bird preens itself aligning their feathers into the right places.  Change of seasons changes the main usage of the birdbaths.  In the cold winter months when fresh water is hard to find the birdbaths  become a drinking station. To keep water from freezing  a de-icer or heating element can be added to the birdbath.  The bath water does not need to be hot,just tepid will do.  If it's hot the chances of cracking the birdbaths are increased as well as harming the little guys.  In the springtime the birdbaths will attract wild birds that are migrating, offering them a stop to drink and refresh themselves.  This is a good time to make sure the seed feeders are filled too.  The heat of the summer will have birds looking for a place to drink and cool off.  The birdbaths will aid them in this situation.  There is a good chance of seeing grosbeaks and warblers taking advantage of the birdbaths.  The insect eating avians which normally do not come to bird feeders may visit the birdbaths for a cool  drink.  Due to the summer heat the bath water will grow algae and fungus so make sure the birdbaths are emptied and cleaned frequently.  A water to bleach solution of 10:1 parts is good to use. A bottle brush or a toilet brush will help get into the nooks and crannies.  A little trick to help slow the growth of algae is to take sprigs of lavender wrap 2 day lily leaves around them and place the bundle into the water. The birdbath should be rinsed well before returning it to duty.  Fall sees less of our feathered friends at the birdbaths.  Migration once again takes place and the birdbaths become once more  a drinking station.  Wild birds tend not to use the bath  to bathe due to all the rainfall and the natural puddles created. This is a good time to do maintenance on the birdbaths and ready them for the next influx of wild birds.  Please visit my site www.WildBirdSeedMart.com to see some very nice birdbaths and feeders. I also offer wild bird seed mixes and identification books.  Hope the blog's information on birdbaths could be of some service.