Birds need fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Most birds drink water every day. They also seem to enjoy bathing to clean their plumage and remove parasites. Providing water improves habitat for birds and other animals, and increases your chances of observing their fun behaviors up close! You can attract more birds to your balcony, roof patio, or yard by including a birdbath, and few things are more attractive to them than a clean, well-maintained one.
Good birdbaths are similar to shallow puddles, the natural birdbaths in the wild for birds. Choose a shallow container that is easy to clean, such as an old frying pan, shallow baking pan, or plastic lids of large containers. If you have a yard, you could dig a shallow hole and line it with plastic or some other waterproof material. Although birds prefer water basins that are on the ground, consider if cats are a danger. If you think that a birdbath on the ground might be too tempting to cats, put the birdbath three or four feet off the ground. Place some sand in the bottom of the bath and arrange a few branches or stones in the container, so birds can stand on them and drink without getting wet. This is especially important in the winter when keeping body heat is essential for survival in the cold.
You can try an immersion heater for keeping the water from freezing in a birdbath. These heaters are safe and cost pennies a day to operate or you could try putting a light bulb in a plant pot and place the water basin on top. The light bulb will keep the water from freezing.
To keep the water fresh, remember to change the water in the birdbath and clean it every couple of days. Try to clean the birdbath before the water becomes stale, and clean the bottom and walls immediately if you see green algae. Keep the birdbath full of water and then enjoy the feathery visitors having fun at your puddle!
Learn more about providing water for birds from the Great Backyard Bird Count (PDF).
Celebrate Urban Birds strives to co-create bilingual, inclusive, and equity-based community science projects that serve communities that have been historically underrepresented or excluded from birding, conservation, and citizen science. The project seeks to promote better science through equitable knowledge sharing, increased access, centering missing voices and experiences, and intentionally advocating for community ownership and scientific research leadership. Together with participating communities, the project has co-developed processes to co-design, pilot, and implement scientific research and programming while focusing on race and equity.
This is a great question. Considering our daily requirement for water, it is advised that we consume about eight glasses. Our water needs vary depending on our activity level rather than the season. The same can be said for birds. For wild birds, drinking water in the winter is just as important as it is in the summer.
The necessities of wild birds are similar to those of humans in that they include food, water, and shelter. It is equally crucial to have a birdhouse, or “nesting box,” during the winter as it is during the breeding season. Birds often roost in groups, sharing body heat as they huddle together, and birdhouses give them a place to go at night to escape the weather.
Keeping an accessible water source is essential to building a welcoming habitat for wild birds in backyards. There are two primary reasons birds need water. Naturally, they need to drink, but they also need to bathe in order to clean their feathers, which is a less evident need. Clean feathers increase their insulating capacity. The ability of dirty or matted feathers to retain warm air and shield wild birds from the chilly nights and strong daytime winds is diminished.
I was emailed the following earlier this week: “We had connected our bird bath to the drip system.” Although the drip system has been turned off for the winter, I was manually filling the birdbath. Should I let the bird bath dry now that the nights are getting colder?
If there’s ever a time of year to feed wild birds, it’s the chilly winter when it’s hard to find natural food sources. They can forage for up to 14 hours a day during the summer, when there is an abundance of food and long, warm days. In winter, they face just the opposite situation. They have less time to search for food because of the shorter days, scarce food supplies, and stressful cold weather.
Remember to clean and replace the water in the birdbath every few days to maintain the freshness of the water. If you notice green algae, clean the birdbath’s walls and bottom right away. Try to clean the birdbath before the water gets stale. After adding water to the birdbath, watch the feathered guests having fun in your little “puddle.”
Celebrate Urban Birds works to co-create community science initiatives that are equity-based, inclusive, and bilingual in order to benefit communities that have historically been marginalized or excluded from citizen science, conservation, and birding. Through fair knowledge exchange, improved accessibility, highlighting underrepresented perspectives and experiences, and consciously promoting community ownership and scientific research leadership, the project aims to advance better science. The project has co-developed procedures to co-design, test, and execute scientific research and programming with a focus on racial equity alongside participating communities.
If you want to prevent the water in a birdbath from freezing, you can try an immersion heater. These heaters are inexpensive to run and safe to use. Alternatively, you could try placing a water basin on top of a lightbulb placed in a plant pot. The light bulb will keep the water from freezing.
Shallow puddles, which naturally serve as birdbaths in the wild, are comparable to excellent birdbaths. Pick an easy-to-clean shallow container, like the plastic lids of large containers, an old frying pan, or a shallow baking pan. You could dig a shallow hole in your yard and cover it with plastic or another water-resistant material. Even though birds favor ground-level water basins, think about whether cats could pose a threat. Place the birdbath three or four feet above the ground if you believe that it would be too alluring for cats to be on the ground. So that birds can stand on the branches or stones and drink without getting wet, fill the bath with sand and arrange a few of them inside. This is particularly crucial in the winter, when maintaining body heat is necessary to survive the cold.
Birds need fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Most birds drink water every day. To keep their feathers clean and free of parasites, they also appear to enjoy taking baths. A birdbath will draw more birds to your balcony, roof patio, or yard because they are drawn to clean, well-maintained ones. Water also enhances the habitat for birds and other animals, increasing your chances of witnessing their entertaining behaviors up close.
FAQ
What time of day do birds drink water?
Should I put water out for birds?
Will birds drink water from a bowl?
How do birds get water when everything is frozen?