Offer your birds water--there are choices for every situation

 

No matter what your situation, you can provide water for birds.  If you have the room, a pedestal bath is the choice most people make because pedestal baths add a focal point to the landscape. You can enhance your pedestal bath with drippers or mini waterfalls to create the moving water that attracts birds, and to add an element of sound to your yard, deck or patio. Many pedestal baths are also fine for use with a heater for winter use and some are available as heated models.

              

If predators such as cats aren’t a problem, ground baths are great bird attractors because they mimic the ground-level puddles birds frequently bath in. These can also be improved with a dripper if they aren’t already equipped with one, and if the bath isn’t heated, a stand-alone heater can be used in winter.

                     

You can provide water even in limited spaces such as a deck or a balcony. Hanging baths are great for small spaces like these, when hung on a deck rail hanger. Although they can’t be used with a heater, they do make a very pretty addition to a small space in the warmer months.  Deck mounted baths work perfectly in small spaces also. And these are available in heated deck-mount models for year round use.

                         

Another option is a fountain. Some are solar powered and require no electricity, just a steady dose of sun.  Others use electricity and create an interesting mist effect—for indoors or out.

         

And a final option is to use a large water container of your choice and put in a Bird Bath Raft. This gives you the depth you want for water plants, yet makes a shallow spot for birds to bathe.

 

So as you can see, the choices for providing your birds with water are almost endless! Find one that fits your needs and enjoy watching your splashing birds!

--Roxanne Brune