BIRD BATHS IN SUMMER AND WINTER
Want to attract more birds to your backyard? ADD A FUNCTIONAL BIRD BATH to supplement
your BIRD FEEDERS and bird food. During both warm and cold weather, water is an essential elements for birds. Water is the single most important resource you can provide in
winter months.  Ever watch the birds
splashing in a small puddle in your driveway?
It's great entertainment for you, but an essential part of the birds
life to drink and bathe in a shallow water source. To bring this fascinating habit closer to view, and to attract
more variety and numbers of birds to your yard, incorporate a BIRDBATH into
your wild bird attracting routine.
WHAT IS A BIRD BATH?
A Birdbath, simply put, is
essentially a man-made puddle, raised, or on a pedestal with a shallow
basin filled with water for bathing and drinking. Used in combination with BIRD FEEDERS and species-appropriate shrubs and trees, a bird bath is a powerful
attraction for birds, especially during droughts. BIRD BATH FEATURES
An
important feature of a bird bath that should be considered during selection is
a place to perch, to avoid the risk of birds drowning. Choose a bowl container shallow enough to
allow birds to perch in the water.
Clean stones can be added inside the bowl to create places for the
birds to stand. A rough surfaced sloping bottom provides a
variety of depths for different sized birds.
The edge or rim of the bowl should be secure and easily perched on for
the safety and comfort of the bird. Consideration should also
be made to the issue of housecats or 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. This is one of the
reasons birdbaths are customarily placed on pedestals. 
Birds are attracted to
moving water, so consider a WATER MOVING DEVICE such as the WATER WIGGLER to
provide continuous ripples in the bird bath water. This also serves to discourage mosquitoes from the water source,
and helps keep the water fresher.
 MAINTAINING A BIRD BATH
Bird baths should be kept
clean and free from standing excrement to avoid contamination. When you choose a bath, keep in mind the
ease and convenience of cleaning. Some
styles have easily REMOVABLE PLASTIC BOWLS, and others have EASY TILT
FUNCTIONS for dumping dirty water. Cement tends to get mossy, so needs a good
brush scrubbing every so often. CLEAN
WATER IS IMPORTANT! 
WINTER WATER SOURCES FOR BIRDS
During cold months, birds
lack water sources because everything available is frozen. This is especially
true when a freeze comes before snow has fallen. This presents the risk of
dehydration and death for many birds.
You can assist in their livelihood and survival by providing a heated
water source and attracting birds in winter months.
There are many types of
HEATED BIRD BATHS with the heating element installed right into the bowl. These are safe and attractive and will
extend your bird watching fun all year round.
If you already have an
existing BIRD BATH, without heat source, heat can easily be added with a corded
BIRD BATH HEATING ELEMENT . Look for bird bath heaters that are UL tested and have safety features such as hooks or clamps that
secure the heater to avoid having it knocked out of the bird bath.
As with all BIRD BATHS,
fresh water is important. It won't need
to be changed as frequently, because of diminished evaporation and heat during cold months, but
needs to be maintained for the bird's health and safety.
  BACKYARD ENCHANTMENT
Watching your feathered
guests splash and play in your BIRDBATH can be very entertaining. You will witness the personalities of
different kinds and types of birds by noticing how aggressive or submissive
they are when approaching the bath.
Watch their patterns of dunking, dipping, or fully bathing. Then observe how each one dries off. It is all part of the wonderful experience
of attracting and observing the ENCHANTMENT OF LIFE, right in your own
BACKYARD. To see our full line of Quality Bird Watching Gifts for Attracting, Nesting and Feeding Wild Birds including: Bird Feeders, Birdhouses, Hummingbird Feeders, and Bird Baths, and Unique Home and Garden Decor such as Wind Chimes, Mylar Windsocks, Garden Gnomes and more, go to www.BackyardBirdsandGardens.com HOMEPAGE |
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