Bird bath
Encyclopedia
A bird bath is an artificial "puddle
" or small shallow pond, created with a water- filled basin, for birds to bathe and 'cool off' in, and drink from. A birdbath can be a garden ornament
, small reflecting pool
, outdoor sculpture, and part of creating a vital wildlife garden.
A birdbath is an attraction for many different species of birds to visit gardens, especially during the summer
and drought
periods. Birdbaths that provide a reliable source of water year round add to the popularity and "micro-habitat" support.
s and column
s or hang from eaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rock
s and boulders. Requirements include: a shallow gradually deepening basin; enough open surroundings to minimize cats' stalking; clean and renewed-refilled water; and cleaning to avoid contamination and mosquitoes. Two inches of water
in the center is sufficient for most backyard birds, because they do not submerge their bodies, only dipping their wing
s to splash water on their backs. Deeper or wide basins can have "perch islands" in the water, which can also help discourage feline
predators. Elevation on a pedestal is a common safety measure, providing a clear area around the birdbath that is free of hiding locations for predators. A bird feeder
can complement a bird bath to encourage birds to linger and return.
or glazed terra cotta
formed in two pieces, the bowl and the pedestal. The bowl has an indentation or socket in the base which allows it to fit over the pedestal. The pedestal is typically about one meter tall. Both bowl and pedestal can be clean or decorated with bas-relief. Bowls can be pure curved geometry, or have motifs of a shell or pseudo-rocky spring
. The pedestal can also be a simple silhouette
or incorporate decorations. However, birds seem unconcerned with the aesthetics, with even a shallow plate, pie-tin, or puddle
below a slowly dripping water outlet used.
Birdbaths can be made with other types of materials, including glass, metals (i.e.: copper
), plastics, mosaic tiles, marble
, or any other material that can be outdoors and hold water. In natural landscape
gardens rocks and boulders with natural or stonemason carved basins can fit in unobtrusively. Some birdbaths use a recirculating pump as part of a fountain
or water feature
, and can include filters, a float valve-water connection for automatic refilling, or a drip irrigation
emitter aimed into the bowl. Some use a solar power
ed pump, floating or submerged, to recirculate the water. Birds are attracted to the sight and sound of running water, with integrated or nearby fountains an important element to bring birds to the garden.
This is one of the reasons birdbaths are customarily placed on pedestals in the middle of a lawn under overhanging limbs of a large tree, to which the birds may fly quickly if threatened. In order to be able to see an approaching predator, birds should be able to see the clearing around it, over the edge of the birdbath as they bathe; therefore, a small diameter birdbath is better. Only very low and open foliage plants should be placed beneath a birdbath, in order to avoid providing a hiding place for a predator.
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.
Those birds that do not have binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a birdbath off-putting if they're unable to judge the water's depth. You can help by leaning a stick or flat rock against the birdbath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water.
s, and ornamental plant
s, that supply berries
, acorn
s, nut
s, seed
s, nectar, and other foods, and also bird nest
building materials encourages the health and new generations of birds. These qualities can also increase the visible population to enjoy in a garden. Using companion planting
and the birds' insect
cuisine habits is a traditional method for pest control in an organic garden, and any landscape.
Taller shrub
s and tree
s nearby allow short and safe "commute
s" to the bird bath. The birdbath will attract more birds if placed where a frightened bird can fly up easily to an overhanging limb or resting place if disturbed or attacked.
, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated well by large agricultural sprinklers in a field of stubble. The sight of several hundred or thousand large geese "playing in the sprinklers" can be a moving experience. Providing such a place for migratory birds, especially in urban and suburban areas devoid of wetlands is an excellent way of encouraging them to frequent an area. As wetlands become more scarce, steps such as these can be important conservation
practices.
, or fungi. Fresh water is important. Concrete bird baths tend to become mossy and, therefore, slippery—requiring an occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush.
Puddle
A puddle is a small accumulation of liquid, usually water, on a surface. It can form either by pooling in a depression on the surface, or by surface tension upon a flat surface...
" or small shallow pond, created with a water- filled basin, for birds to bathe and 'cool off' in, and drink from. A birdbath can be a garden ornament
Garden ornament
A Garden ornament is an item used for garden, landscape, and park enhancement and decoration.The category can include:*bird baths,**bird feeders,**nest box-bird houses*columns - cast stone*fountains,**rocks and boulders with basins...
, small reflecting pool
Reflecting pool
A reflecting pool or reflection pool is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and at memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a calm reflective...
, outdoor sculpture, and part of creating a vital wildlife garden.
A birdbath is an attraction for many different species of birds to visit gardens, especially during the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
and drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
periods. Birdbaths that provide a reliable source of water year round add to the popularity and "micro-habitat" support.
Introduction
Birdbaths can be pre-made basins on pedestalPedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
s and column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s or hang from eaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s and boulders. Requirements include: a shallow gradually deepening basin; enough open surroundings to minimize cats' stalking; clean and renewed-refilled water; and cleaning to avoid contamination and mosquitoes. Two inches of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
in the center is sufficient for most backyard birds, because they do not submerge their bodies, only dipping their wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s to splash water on their backs. Deeper or wide basins can have "perch islands" in the water, which can also help discourage feline
Felinae
Felinae is a subfamily of the family Felidae which includes the genera and species listed below. Most are small to medium-sized cats, although the group does include some larger animals, such as the Cougar and Cheetah....
predators. Elevation on a pedestal is a common safety measure, providing a clear area around the birdbath that is free of hiding locations for predators. A bird feeder
Bird feeder
A birdfeeder, bird feeder, bird table, or tray feeder are devices placed outdoors to supply bird food to birds...
can complement a bird bath to encourage birds to linger and return.
Design and construction
The traditional birdbath is made of molded concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
or glazed terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
formed in two pieces, the bowl and the pedestal. The bowl has an indentation or socket in the base which allows it to fit over the pedestal. The pedestal is typically about one meter tall. Both bowl and pedestal can be clean or decorated with bas-relief. Bowls can be pure curved geometry, or have motifs of a shell or pseudo-rocky spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
. The pedestal can also be a simple silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
or incorporate decorations. However, birds seem unconcerned with the aesthetics, with even a shallow plate, pie-tin, or puddle
Puddle
A puddle is a small accumulation of liquid, usually water, on a surface. It can form either by pooling in a depression on the surface, or by surface tension upon a flat surface...
below a slowly dripping water outlet used.
Birdbaths can be made with other types of materials, including glass, metals (i.e.: copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
), plastics, mosaic tiles, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, or any other material that can be outdoors and hold water. In natural landscape
Natural landscape
A natural landscape is a landscape that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. The nonliving elements distinguish a natural landscape from a wilderness. A wilderness includes areas within which natural...
gardens rocks and boulders with natural or stonemason carved basins can fit in unobtrusively. Some birdbaths use a recirculating pump as part of a fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
or water feature
Water feature
In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams. Before the 18th century they were usually powered by gravity, though the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon are described by Strabo as...
, and can include filters, a float valve-water connection for automatic refilling, or a drip irrigation
Drip irrigation
Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or microirrigation or localized irrigation , is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves,...
emitter aimed into the bowl. Some use a solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
ed pump, floating or submerged, to recirculate the water. Birds are attracted to the sight and sound of running water, with integrated or nearby fountains an important element to bring birds to the garden.
Perch and view needs
An important feature of a birdbath, which should be considered when designing one, is a place to perch. The bath should also be shallow enough to avoid the risk of birds drowning. This requirement may be fulfilled simply by making the bowl or container part shallow enough to allow birds to perch in the water. Another way is to add a number of clean stones inside the bowl to create places on which a bird might stand.Safe refuge needs
Consideration should also be made to the issue of house cats and other predators, by placing the birdbath in a location where the birds can see the area around it, and where there are no hiding places for predators to lurk. Birds cannot fly well when their feathers are wet and heavy, so it's best to allow 2 feet of open space on all sides of the bath, so that the birds can see danger coming with enough time to escape.This is one of the reasons birdbaths are customarily placed on pedestals in the middle of a lawn under overhanging limbs of a large tree, to which the birds may fly quickly if threatened. In order to be able to see an approaching predator, birds should be able to see the clearing around it, over the edge of the birdbath as they bathe; therefore, a small diameter birdbath is better. Only very low and open foliage plants should be placed beneath a birdbath, in order to avoid providing a hiding place for a predator.
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.
Those birds that do not have binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a birdbath off-putting if they're unable to judge the water's depth. You can help by leaning a stick or flat rock against the birdbath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water.
Plants
Including native plantNative plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
s, and ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s, that supply berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s, nut
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
s, seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, nectar, and other foods, and also bird nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
building materials encourages the health and new generations of birds. These qualities can also increase the visible population to enjoy in a garden. Using companion planting
Companion planting
Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity , on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity...
and the birds' insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
cuisine habits is a traditional method for pest control in an organic garden, and any landscape.
Taller shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s nearby allow short and safe "commute
Commute
Commute, commutation or commutative may refer to:* Commuting, the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work* Commutative property, a property of a mathematical operation...
s" to the bird bath. The birdbath will attract more birds if placed where a frightened bird can fly up easily to an overhanging limb or resting place if disturbed or attacked.
Larger birds
Larger birds, such as the Canada gooseCanada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated well by large agricultural sprinklers in a field of stubble. The sight of several hundred or thousand large geese "playing in the sprinklers" can be a moving experience. Providing such a place for migratory birds, especially in urban and suburban areas devoid of wetlands is an excellent way of encouraging them to frequent an area. As wetlands become more scarce, steps such as these can be important conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
practices.
Maintenance
A birdbath requires regular maintenance. Maintenance may be as simple as a daily quick wash and refill, but it will depend on the birdbath materials. This is important because of the possible adverse health effects of birds drinking dirty water, or water which may have become fouled with excrement, algaeAlgae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, or fungi. Fresh water is important. Concrete bird baths tend to become mossy and, therefore, slippery—requiring an occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush.
Garden design
Birdbaths often are the central feature of an overall plan for a garden setting that includes natural nectar and food plants, shrubs, trees, and feeders. They often are placed where they may be viewed through the windows of a home, school, or office. They also may be placed on a small patio, deck, or terrace which is designed carefully to provide for the safety of the birds by eliminating access by predators. Deck mounted birdbaths are popular for people that do not have much yard space or live in a building with no yard, but do have a balcony or deck. These types of birdbaths can be mounted directly to a deck rail, thereby eliminating any floor space use.See also
- Bird feederBird feederA birdfeeder, bird feeder, bird table, or tray feeder are devices placed outdoors to supply bird food to birds...
- Bird watching
- Conservation biologyConservation biologyConservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
- DroughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
- GardenGardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s - HabitatHabitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s - Mud-puddlingMud-puddlingMud-puddling is the phenomenon mostly seen in butterflies and involves their aggregation on substrates like wet soil, dung and carrion to obtain nutrients such as salts and amino acids. This behaviour has also been seen in some other insects, notably the leafhoppers.Lepidoptera are diverse in...
- Riparian zone restorationRiparian zone restorationRiparian zone restoration is the ecological restoration of riparian zone habitats of streams, rivers, springs, lakes, floodplains, and other hydrologic ecologies.Riparian zones have been degraded throughout much of the world...
- Wetlands