Water is a Key Element in Your Backyard Habitat!

Birds need water all year and sometimes fresh, clean water is hard for a bird to find. You can attract the greatest variety of birds to your yard by providing a source of water along with your feeders. Not all birds eat from your feeders, but all birds need water.

Here are a few things to consider:

Adding a water feature provides a key element in providing a backyard habitat for your birds.

• Place your birdbath 10-12 feet away from shrubs to help keep the birds safer from predators.
• When placed in the shade algae doesn’t grow as fast and keeps the water cooler.
• Birds don’t like deep water, but birds come in many sizes, so add rocks to the bath so that a variety of birds can enjoy it!
• While there are many products available to clean birdbaths, use only a scrub brush and water. If mold or stains are a problem, a bleach solution of ten parts water to one part bleach can be used to clean the birdbath.
• Birds find moving water irresistible. Add a dripper, mister, or water wiggler, and watch the birds go nuts!

How the Material Used In Birdbaths Affects Your Buying Decision

Birdbaths come in many shapes, sizes and materials. The material that is used to make the birdbath will likely be the first factor you consider before making a purchase.

Concrete and Ceramic baths, while often appealing, are best used only during the summer. Because of their porous nature, they have a tendency to crack during the winter after going thru freezing and thawing cycles. Birdbath heaters are not recommended in these baths due to the extremity of our winters. Birdbath tops, while often heavy, can be brought inside during the winter and replaced with one of our pedestal mounts heated birdbath tops (see ‘Heated Birdbaths’ below).

Cast Aluminum and Cast Iron baths are more versatile and come in many decorative styles. They generally are not as heavy as other baths. They can be left outside all winter, and work well with a birdbath heater.

Granite baths are often natural centerpieces of well-manicured landscapes. Made of solid stone, they are heavy and difficult to move; however, we offer a delivery and placement service to all of our customers! These beauties can be left outside all year, they will not crack or split and they can be used with birdbath heaters and pedestal mounted heated birdbath tops.

Solar Birdbaths - Technology has come a long way and we now carry a solar pump that creates a fountain of water, when in the direct sun. We are still anxiously awaiting the day when Solar Birdbaths are made to store energy to work continuously, even when they are not in full sun. Right now the technology is not there and those that are on the market are pretty costly. When technology meets with reasonable prices you will find them in the store!

Drip or Mist?

When most people think of providing water to birds, they think of a birdbath. Birds are attracted to the sound of moving water. Attaching a dripper or mister to your birdbath provides a source of moving water that backyard birds find irresistible! Many birds such as chickadees, finches, and titmice will land on the dripper spout and creep down to the end and lean over to take a drink!