Bird Bath Tips

A bird bath brings a garden alive. Even the loveliest of gardens can't provide the same variety of sights and sounds as a flock of birds gathered around a solar bird bath. Choosing the right style and placement for your bird bath fountain is a simple matter when you know what birds need. Here are a few tips.

Style

Birds like shallow water, so select a copper bird bath with a basin no deeper than 3 inches. The best basin design for stone bird baths is sloped and shallower around the edges, thus permitting birds to choose their depth.

Also, the bottom of the basin should be rough, as resin bird baths with a glazed or slippery basin will cause birds to lose their footing. Lastly, bird baths with dripping or moving water are best, as birds will be attracted by the movement and sound. Fountain or solar bird baths are excellent for that purpose.

Location

When choosing a location for your heated bird bath, pick a spot that's safe for the birds but highly visible for you. Birds will be calmer if they have a clear line of sight for 5 to ten feet around the heated bird bath. Close to a tree is also good, as many birds will like to hop from the heated bird bath to its branches and back. And for your own pleasure and convenience, try to find a location near a window and an outside faucet.

Maintenance

Cleaning your pedestal bird bath regularly with a bleach solution and stiff brush will keep it looking beautiful. Completely cover the stone bird bath and let the solution sit for about fifteen minutes. Be sure to rinse the bird bath thoroughly and fill it with fresh water afterwards. And remember: do not use any algae-preventing chemicals or other products that could harm the birds if left in the water.