They prevent birds from slipping or sliding on a slick bird bath basin. They make a great perch for birds that want to clean themselves without being submerged in water. They add extra style and pizzazz to your otherwise attractive birdbath. They help attract smaller birds.
If your basin doesn't have a good ridge around it (or even if it does), you'll want to put something inside the basin – like sand or a tree branch – to give birds a good footing. (Remember to put marbles in a basin for bees and butterflies.) Be sure to add fresh water every two to three days.
'If selecting a deeper bird bath, make sure you add a few stones to the bottom to ensure smaller birds have somewhere to perch and can also get out easily,' continues Claire. Adding a few stones to the shallower parts of your bird bath will also provide bees and butterflies with a spot to land and drink.
The stones can be anything from colorful decorative ones, to a large natural rock, river rock, lava rock, or simply stones from the garden. Anything that allows birds to “hop up onto” will be used and appreciated by feathered friends. For better footing, landing and perching spots… and maybe even to save a life!
Arrange stones (or branches) in the water so birds can stand on them to drink without getting wet (this is particularly important during freezing weather). The water should be no deeper than 0.5 to 1 inch at the edges, sloping to a maximum of 2 inches deep in the middle of the bath.
The Birdbath Isn't in the Right Place
Much like we as humans look for convenient watering holes, birds are looking for easy—and safe—places to wet their beaks and bathe. If your birdbath is out in the open, with no cover or brush nearby, it's too risky a place for birds to use as a rest stop.
A bird bath is one of the simplest and cheapest ways of attracting birds to your garden, but when you first put out a bird bath it may take a while before birds start to use it. This could be days or even weeks if there are other sources of water nearby, so patience is key.
A bird bath can be any color you want. Each species is attracted to certain colors typically as a food source. You can use these colors on your bird bath or, more effectively, in the plants you plant in your bird-friendly garden.
If you happen to have a deeper bird bath, you can make it more appealing by adding in a few rocks in the middle or along the edges. This will give birds a place to land so they can splash and preen themselves in the water.
Water Movement: Moving water will attract more birds than stagnant water in a simple basin. A birdbath that includes a dripper, mister, water spray, bubbler, or fountain is a better choice to attract a wide range of bird species.
To keep your birdbath fresh, just rinse and scrub it with nine parts water, one part vinegar. Skip the synthetic soaps and cleansers; they can strip the essential oils off of bird feathers. And make sure to refill the water every other day to keep it from bugging up.
Q: What goes in a birdbath but never gets wet? A: The bird's shadow.
A dirty bird bath is a hazard in a bird-friendly backyard. Not only is stagnant, contaminated water uninteresting to the birds, but it can also foster diseases that can spread to an entire backyard flock. In addition, a dirty birdbath smells and can attract mice, rats, and other unwanted pests.
A shallow, watertight bowl, such as an upturned dustbin lid or large circular plant tray. The perfect birdbath will have very shallow sloping sides, a maximum depth of only 10cm or so and be as wide as possible - ideally more than 30cm across. Some stones or gravel. Bricks to raise the bowl up if it doesn't have a base.
For the safety of birds and other animals, salt should never be added to birdbaths.
Birdbath Location
Set up your birdbath in an open area but in close proximity to cover. The more open space around your birdbath, the more birds are going to come to bathe. Birds have natural predators, and the open space will not allow predators to hide anywhere near your birdbath.
Indeed, with the exception of night-flying birds such as owls, the eyes of most birds probably are even more sensitive to ultraviolet light than they are to what we call visible light.
Position the bath under a gutter or downspout, or in reach of automatic sprinklers that can help keep the water moving and keep the basin full. Use multiple bird baths in different locations to meet birds' different needs for bathing and drinking and attract even more species.
Ceramic is one of the most common materials for pedestal bird baths. Our favorite ceramic bird bath is the two-tone pedestal design from Sunnydaze. Ceramic holds up well to most weather conditions but usually needs to be protected from freezing weather. It's easy to wipe clean, which is a big plus.
A sunny, warm room, free of drafts provides the bird with a comfortable setting to dry out and preen without getting chilled. Some birds enjoy being dried with a gentle warm hair dryer, but great care must be taken not to overheat the bird.
Not all bird baths are usable in winter. Delicate baths, such as those with mosaics or other decorative accents, can easily break in winter, while heavy ice buildup can damage concrete bird baths. Very small baths will also freeze too quickly in winter and should be put away.
Bird bath water should be replaced every 2 to 4 days; when refilling a bird bath, dispose of dirty water and wipe the basin out with a rag before introducing clean water. If the basin is still dirty after wiping, it will need to be cleaned.