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It’s bath time in our backyard today! Birds need a dependable supply of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Putting a bird bath in your yard may attract birds that don’t eat seeds and wouldn’t otherwise come to a feeder. Water helps keep a bird’s body cool and removes dust, loose feathers, parasites, and other debris.
Backyard bird bath
By: Kealy McNeal
Once your orange peel bird feeder is set up, perhaps the best way to make your backyard more attractive to birds is to just add water. Birds need a dependable supply of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Putting a birdbath in your yard may attract birds that don’t eat seeds and wouldn’t otherwise come to your feeders.
Place your birdbath in the shade if possible, to keep the water cool. Having trees nearby will provide branches on which they can preen. Preening is a bird's way of grooming its feathers to keep them in the best condition to handle the stress of flight. Arrange rocks, sticks or shells in the water so birds can stand on them to drink without getting wet. The water should be no deeper than 0.5 to 1 inch at the edges. Birds seem to prefer baths that are set at ground level, where they typically find water in nature. While birds are bathing they can be vulnerable to predators, especially to cats. If you have a cat, please keep it indoors.
It’s a good idea to keep your birdbath full at all times to attract a wide variety of birds. In order to provide a safe drinking and bathing environment, it’s important to change the water every day or two. Bathing birds may leave behind dirty feathers and droppings, making the bath unsanitary for other birds. Grackles often drop their nestlings’ fecal sacs into birdbaths, another cause of filthy water. Algae grows much more quickly when the water isn’t cleaned frequently and mosquitoes lay their eggs in bird baths. By changing the water often, you won’t give the eggs time to hatch or for the larvae to emerge.
Materials
- Two flower pots (improvise if necessary)
- 1 Bowl
- Hot glue gun
- An assortment of paint
- Paint brushes
- Rocks (optional)
- Water
*Please use whatever material you have at your house. There is no need for a trip to the store!
Step 1
Create the base of the bird bath by hot gluing the bottom of the two flower pots together. Make sure an adult is around to help you with this part.
Step 2
Time to decorate your base! I used acrylic craft paint for my base, but use whatever you have around your house. If you are feeling really adventurous, glue shells or pebbles to your base.
Step 3
Let it dry in the sun!
Step 4
Add your water bowl. Carefully, hot glue the outer rim of the top flower pot base. Place the bowl on the base and hold until the bowl is secure.
Step 5
Add rocks, sticks or even shells to the bottom of your bowl. This will give the birds a place to stand without getting completely wet.
Step 6
Find a place in the shade near the ground to place your bird bath. Fill the bowl just to the top of the rocks.
Step 7
You are done! Enjoy your bird bath, but remember it might take a few days for birds to become comfortable to explore new things in the yard.
additional cool resources
Why Do Birds Take Baths?
Click here to find out!
Debunking Backyard Bird Bath Myths
Here’s some local bird feeder tips!
Don’t Have Flower Pots?
Get inspiration from other DIY bird bath ideas