Birdfeeders

Birds need to take good care of their feathers. Some bathe in fine dust. When you find round impressions in loose soil, chances are very good that quail have been there cleaning their feathers. Others bathe in water, which is one reason why it is important to have bird baths in our yards. After getting thoroughly wet in bird baths or other water sources, birds will move to close by perches to attend to each feather individually. The bird will reach back to the preen gland, a small opening that secretes oil. The bird mixes the oil with saliva and then draws its bill across each feather, which cleans and waterproofs at the same time. This process is very necessary to the overall health and well being of birds, so just as we supply bird feeders to feed hungry birds, we should supply bird baths for cleaning of feathers as well as for drinking water.

Having bird baths in the yard adds another reason for birds to visit our yards. Even though bird feeders are the first attraction for most birds, bird baths will be busy indeed for drinking water as well as getting wet for preening of the feathers. Some birds visit bird baths for a drink more often than others. Our bird baths are visited often by gold finches, sparrows, mourning doves and jays who stop in for a quick drink. Birds have two basic drinking methods. By far the most common is to take a mouthful of water and then tilt the head back to let the water pass into the esophagus. When the head is tilted back, the glottis closes to prevent the water from getting into the windpipe. A few birds such as pigeons can suck in water as mammals do without tilting their heads back. Hummingbirds can drink from wet vegetation and aerial birds like swifts and swallows can grab a mouthful of water from a pond or lake while in flight.

Birdbaths are popular all year long as birds learn you have an always dependable water source. Even migrating birds might notice other birds at your birdbath and stop for a visit. Winter is also a popular time for birdbaths in cold areas. When all natural water sources turn to solid ice, your open water will draw lots of visitors. In these climates, it is well worth buying a de-icer to be sure your birdbath doesn’t freeze. Of course, keeping it clean and filled with fresh water is a must. Open water during winter is unusual in many areas, so a wide variety of birds will gather to drink from an ice-free birdbath. De-icers feature a built-in thermostat. Even on the coldest days, they will keep drinking water within the optimal drinking range for wild birds. A stainless steel guard is provided to shield wildlife from contacting the heating element. De-icers only come on when the temperature drops below35 degrees so over a winter, they are very inexpensive to run and offer a necessary oasis of open water to local birds.

Almost all birds wet their feathers on a regular basis as part of their ritual of feather maintenance. That’s why it is so important to have bird baths in our yards. The experts seem to agree that birds don’t bathe to get clean as humans do, but it is more for oiling the feathers and preening. Each type of bird seems to have it’s own characteristic way of bathing. Songbirds generally prefer to stand in shallow water which makes bird baths the perfect solution. While standing in the bird bath, they dip their heads and flip water onto their backs, then shake their bills in the water while rapidly fluttering the wings which wets the flight feathers. The tail is also immersed and fluttered. By now the bird is completely wet and water has been flying all around. At this point, a good shake gets rid of all excess water. It is great entertainment to watch. After a few of these baths, it is highly likely that the bird baths will need refilling. At this point, the bird will move to a nearby tree, shrub or railing to complete the process. This is when they go through the preening ritual which eliminates the rest of the water, arranges the feathers and spreads the preen oil over the plumage.

Keeping birdbaths filled with clean fresh water during most of the year is fairly easy. However, in the cold parts of the country, winter can cause problems with keeping birdbaths fuctional.  If there is snow on the ground, birds will do fine, but if the temperature is below freezing and the ground is bare, birds have a difficult time finding water. It is possible to keep changing the water in birdbaths to keep them from freezing. This will work, but requires a lot of work. The easier solution is to have a water heater. There are many electric heaters on the market designed especially for birdbaths. They are intended for shallow water supplies and are protected so as not to hurt birds. Don’t try to cut the expense by designing your own. Use a UL-approved heater designed to be immersed in water and be sure to use an outdoor extension cord. These heaters are relatively inexpensive to operate and keep the temperature in birdbaths at a constant 50-55 degrees. It is much easier to maintain these birdbaths during the winter if they are positioned near the house where there is a source of electricity and doesn’t require much effort to get to the birdbath in winter conditions.

It’s amazing to discover that many people have multiple bird feeders in their yards, but neglect to offer a water supply for visiting birds. Just as we like to have something to drink with our meals, birds have the same needs. Many birds will visit birdbaths without even stopping at a bird feeder. Even when food is abundant, water is often difficult for birds to find. They have specific requirements for a water supply. Most birds are only comfortable in water that is less than 3 inches deep and must have sure footing. They prefer sloping sides and need to have the safety of cover nearby, for after bathing, they cannot fly very well until they have a chance to preen their feathers. Therefore, it is easy to offer birdbaths that fit this description. A clay plant saucer will do the trick, but if there are cats or other predators in the area, a pedestal birdbath is preferred. These are available from very reasonable to quite expensive for the fancy ones. The birds don’t care which kind you offer as long as it is filled with clean fresh water.

Bird baths may look good in your garden, but it’s the birds they’re really for. About two inches of water is all it takes to attract the huge variety of birds that come to the shallow pool to drink and bathe. Bird baths are especially popular during the summer months, and times of drought, when it’s difficult to find water.

Baths must be shallow, but gradually deepening, high on a pedestal and safe from cats, clean, and frequently filled with fresh water to avoid mosquitoes, and your bird bath will be doing a whole lot more than just looking good in your garden.