A bird bath (or birdbath) is an artificial puddle or small shallow pond, created with a water-filled basin, in which birds may drink, bathe, and cool themselves. A bird bath can be a garden ornament, small reflecting pool,

outdoor sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable s ...

, and also can be a part of creating a vital wildlife garden. A bird bath is an attraction for many different species of birds to visit gardens, especially during the

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

and drought periods. Bird baths that provide a reliable source of water year round add to the popularity and "micro-habitat" support. Bird baths can be pre-made basins on pedestals and

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s or hang from leaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rocks and boulders. Requirements for a bird bath should include the following; a shallow gradually deepening basin; 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 wings to splash water on their backs. Deeper or wide basins can have "perch islands" in the water, which can also help discourage feline predators.Sally Roth (1998). ''Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: A Rodale Organic Gardening Book'', p. 18. Rodale Press Inc., Emmaus PA, . Elevation on a pedestal is a common safety measure, providing a clear area around the bird bath that is free of hiding locations for predators. A bird feeder can complement a bird bath to encourage birds to linger and return. The early bird baths were simple depressions in the ground. The first purpose built bird bath was developed by UK garden design company, Abrahm Pulman & Sons in the 1830s.

Design and construction

The traditional bird bath is made of molded concrete 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 on 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. Birds seem unconcerned with the aesthetics, with even a shallow plate, pie-tin, or puddle below a slowly dripping water outlet used. Bird baths can be made with other types of materials, including glass, metals (e.g., copper), plastics, mosaic tiles, marble, or any other material that can be outdoors and hold water. In

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the kn ...

gardens rocks and boulders with natural or

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

carved basins can fit in unobtrusively. Some bird baths 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 powered 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.

Bird habitat

Perch and view needs

Two titmice in the bird bath (7274236008)

An important feature of a bird bath, 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. A depth of 2" is right for most species. This requirement may be fulfilled by making the bowl shallow enough to allow birds to perch ''in'' the water. For deeper bowls, stones, gravel or rocks can be placed in the center to give birds a place to perch. Objects placed in the bird bath bowl should have a texture that makes it easy for birds' talons to hold.

Safe refuge needs

Consideration should also be made to the issue of house cats and other predators, by placing the bird bath in a location where birds can see the area around it, and where there are no hiding places for predators. Birds cannot fly well when their feathers are wet; two feet of open space on all sides of the bird bath allows birds to see danger coming with enough time to escape. 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. Birds lacking binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a bird bath off-putting if they are unable to judge the water's depth. Leaning a stick or flat rock against the bird bath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water may allay their fear.

Plants

Including native plants, and ornamental plants, that supply berries,

acorn The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...

s, nuts, seeds,

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

, and other foods, and also

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 bl ...

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 A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s and trees nearby allow short and safe " commutes" to the bird bath. The bird bath 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 goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated well by large agricultural sprinklers in a field of stubble. Providing such a place for migratory birds, especially in urban and suburban areas devoid of

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

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.

Maintenance

A bird bath requires regular maintenance. There are a variety of methods and substances that can be used to clean a bird bath, including small quantities of bleach, oregano or olive oil, or commercially available, non-toxic cleaning products. Maintenance for some bird baths may be as simple as a daily quick wash and refill, but it will depend on the bird bath 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, mosquito larvae,

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

, 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. Plastic or resin bird baths may need to be drained, wiped down with a towel and refilled. Mosquitoes and mosquito larvae are the most serious potential health risk that can be caused by poor bird bath maintenance. To prevent mosquito larvae, change the bird bath water weekly to interrupt their 7–10 day breeding cycle, or use a water aerator to break up the still water surface that mosquitoes require to lay eggs. Commercial products that contain

bacillus thuringiensis israelensis ''Bacillus thuringiensis'' serotype ''israelensis'' (Bti) is a group of bacteria used as biological control agents for larvae stages of certain dipterans. Bti produces toxins which are effective in killing various species of mosquitoes, fungu ...

(Bti), which is lethal to mosquitoes but non-toxic for humans and wildlife, can also be used to control mosquitoes.

References

External links

Bird baths and birdwatching
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bird Bath Birds in popular culture Birdwatching Bird feeding Garden features Garden ornaments Habitats Architectural elements