Happy Time—The Importance of the Bird Bath

Bird baths are probably the best way to attract birds to your garden even more so than bird feeders as sometimes fresh, clean water is hard for a bird to find. Parent birds will often bring their babies to the bath after they fledge and show them where it is. Water will actually attract more species of birds than feeders and a clean bath will attract all kinds of birds. Clean water is often the most difficult resource a bird must locate in order to survive. In addition to drinking, bathing is also essential for keeping the birds’ feathers in good shape for flight and insulation and keeping its body cool especially during the heat of summer. For bird lovers a combination of a suitable bird bath, wild bird food, shrubs and trees will attract many birds into their garden. 

Traditional pedestal-type bird bath

When placing the birdbath it is essential to scout out the best location. It is best to position the bath in an open area where there is no chance for predator hiding places. Birds cannot fly well when their feathers are wet, so one should allow at least two feet of open space on all sides of the bath, so that birds can see danger coming with enough time to escape. This is one of the reasons bird baths are customarily placed on pedestals in the middle of a lawn or beneath limbs of a large tree—so the bird may escape if threatened. To see approaching predators, birds should be able to see the clearing around it, over the edge of the bird bath as they bathe; hence a small diameter bird bath is better. Only very low and open foliage plants should be placed beneath a bird bath to avoid providing a hiding place for a predator. 

Beautiful bath but lots of predator hiding places

Perfect water depth for the bird

Choose a birdbath with an easy-to-clean surface and gently sloping sides or a shallow end. Place the birdbath away from your bird-feeders to keep the water from becoming contaminated. To reduce the chance of collisions with windows, place the birdbath either farther than 30 feet from windows (preventing confusing reflections from being a problem) or closer than 3 feet (preventing birds from building up enough flight speed to be injured by any collisions). 

The bath should be no more than three inches at the centre. It should be even shallower at the edge, so that a bird can ease its way in. Many birdbaths are too deep. If you have one that's too deep, you can put rocks in it to raise the bottom. It is also preferable to have a rough bottomed bird bath as birds don't like glazed, slippery bottoms. Cement is good, but it's heavy and hard to handle. Nowadays one can easily purchase fibre-resin type baths that are both lightweight and also with a rougher texture for easier traction for wet birds. 

Beautiful and unusual bird bath

 

The splash of moving water dramatically increases the number of species that visit a birdbath. To upgrade a regular birdbath to a moving-water feature, arrange a garden hose so that its water trickles or drips into the bath. Or make a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of a bucket and plug it with a bit of cloth, and suspend the bucket over the birdbath. The dripping water makes sounds that birds can't resist. 

Change the water every day especially when hot and sunny as water that is exposed to direct sunlight will become stagnant and algae may grow. If you allow the water to sit for long periods of time, it will become less desirable for birds and much harder to clean. 

Best if this bath had a centre piece for perching

As there can be disease transmission from baths, it is essential to keep the water clean, especially if a sick bird shows up, but some contamination is inevitable. However if you maintain good bird bath hygiene, contamination risks are greatly reduced. 

Types of Water Related Diseases in Birds 

Chlamydiosis is caused by a bacteria-like organism that is spread from bird-to-bird etc., through contact with feces. This disease is usually most prevalent in the poultry growing industry. In birds, symptoms include discharges in the nasal and eye passages, coughing and diarrhea. 

Salmonellosis is caused by salmonella bacteria, which are spread through contact with feces. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and low-grade fever. 

Colibacillosis is caused by E. coli bacteria, which is a bacteria normally found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Birds that contract colibacillosis may experience blood poisoning, inflammation of the joints, inflammation of the heart sac, chronic respiratory disease and inflammation of the oviduct. Avian tuberculosis is a reportable disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium avium. 

Avian tuberculosis is caused by ingesting the bacteria, which is present in bird feces. In birds, the disease will cause debilitating injury and tubercular nodules. 

Rotten beak in recent times there has been an increasing amount of information correlating diseased water of neglected bird baths to the increased prevalence of rotten beaks in birds. 

 

Socialising at the bird bath--NICE

Remember dirty, contaminated water can be more dangerous than no liquid water at all. Cleaning your birdbath is essential to the health and safety of your backyard visitors. Frequent cleaning helps prevent algae growth, disease transmission, and pesky mosquitoes from using it as a breeding ground. It also keeps your birdbath free of unsightly feathers, droppings, stains, organic buildup, and more. Concrete bird baths tend to become mossy and, therefore, slippery—requiring an occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush. 

What a silly thing this is--couldn't resist posting!

The easiest way to clean a birdbath is to ensure it doesn’t get dirty. While all birdbaths will eventually need to be cleaned, there are steps that can be taken to minimise the need for frequent cleanings. Position the birdbath away from feeders so spilled seed will not land in the water. Choose a shady spot for the birdbath to minimise algae growth and slow evaporation. Position the birdbath where it will not be clogged by grass clippings, falling leaves and other debris. 

To clean the bath first remove ALL the existing water. Do not add harsh chemicals such as bleach to kill algae as this will harm the birds. Clean out your birdbath with a small scrub brush. For soiled birdbaths, use a mild detergent or birdbath cleaner along with your scrub brush. Make sure to hose out the bath bowl thoroughly afterwards, as birds are extremely sensitive to detergents then refill your bath with a fresh supply of clean water. 

It is a good idea to change the water in the birdbath on a daily basis. Simply hose out the old and refill the bowl. Since birds are drinking and bathing in the same water source, it is important you keep a fresh supply. 

Elegant yet inexpensive and VERY POPULAR

 

Bird baths can be pre-made basins on pedestals and columns or hang from leaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rocks and boulders. Two inches of water in the centre is sufficient for most backyard birds, because they do not submerge their bodies, only dipping their wings to splash water on their backs. The bath should also be shallow enough to avoid the risk of birds drowning. This requirement may be fulfilled by making the bowl shallow enough to allow birds to perch in the water. Another way is to add clean stones inside the bowl to create places where a bird can stand. 

Traditional pedestal style in stone

If the bowl is too deep, some birds will be afraid to enter the bath, staying at the edge and using it for drinking water only, being unable to see beyond the edge if entering the water, or unwilling to enter water that is too deep for their safety. Birds lacking binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a bird bath off-putting if they're unable to judge the water's depth. Leaning a stick or flat rock against the bird bath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water may allay their fear. Larger birds, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated as well by placing large agricultural sprinklers in a field. 

In summer, shade is important to keep the water cool. Remember to regularly check the birdbath in summer when evaporation causes the water to decline faster. A birdbath in the summer sun may have water so hot that it would be like drinking from a hot water heater. Keep several sources of water filled for the birds every day of the year. Every time you take a drink ask yourself if your birdbath has water in it?