Millions of people love watching birds visit their yards every year. The assortment of birds depends on location and time of year. Some are lucky to live in temperate climates, and most of the birds who visit the garden bird feeders are permanent residents. Some, like robins, red-winged blackbirds, and mourning doves, might just be passing through and decided to call it a night and pull into the rest stop. In times like these, you may notice hoards of these birds grouped together in trees and on the ground.
Types of Water Feeders and Birdbaths
Plenty of options exist for keeping your feathered friends hydrated, including fountains, hanging water feeders, and birdbaths. Their costs range from single digits to hundreds. Choosing the right type of bird water feeder can be a bit overwhelming, but we are here to simplify it for you.
Birdbaths
Birdbaths are used all over the world. From fancy to literal dishes sitting outside, there is more than one way to hydrate wild birds. Cement birdbaths are very common in gardens and places where bird feeders are nearby. If you’re going to serve birdseed, you’d better serve water, too. Can you imagine going into a pizza shop and finding out you can only eat pizza and not drink anything along with your meal?
Cement birdbaths are the most popular choice in gardens, and though they can be cleaned easily, they can pose a slight risk for your feathered friends. Cats, dogs, and other predators can snatch a bird while sipping from a birdbath. By hanging a water feeder, you eliminate that fear regarding flightless predators.
Water Feeder
Water feeders can be purchased or made depending on what you want and how much you want to spend. Simple, plastic, inexpensive hummingbird feeders make excellent bird water feeders, especially in the winter when most hummingbirds have flown south. They typically cost $10 or less and are fairly sturdy. If you choose this route in winter, be prepared; you might replace it sooner than later if it cracks in the cold weather.
Another water feeder option is a simple hanging metal dish like the one shown above. Metal will last much longer than a plastic water feeder. It also helps the birds land comfortably on the edge of the dish and drink. Some hummingbird water feeders might not have ample space for birds to land.
Water feeders don’t have to be complicated. You can make a DIY water feeder to go along with your DIY bird feeder from anything shallow that will hold water, even in freezing temperatures. During the cold months, birds will be grateful for freshwater since many other sources may be frozen. They can focus on keeping themselves warm.
If you’re signing up to care for wild birds you enjoy watching, it’s important not to move the waterer around. It will take a little time before they figure out what it is, so it’s best not to move it. Another critical step in caring for wild birds is maintenance, which one must perform in order to keep their water feeder free of bacteria, trash, and leaves. The birds will come to depend on you for water, and if you let it go, they might not be able to find water and may not return to the water feeder once you fill it.
Water Feeder and Birdbath Care
Making sure you are only offering fresh, clean water can be a bit of a challenge when birds and nature, in general, are busy making a mess of the water feeder or birdbath. The easiest way to maintain a heavy cement birdbath is by putting out fresh water and cleaning the place that holds the water daily. A birdbath-use-only dishwashing brush that you keep near the birdbath will help tremendously. When faced with an extra dirty birdbath, spray bleach on it and let it sit for five minutes while it does its job. Clean with soap and rinse thoroughly not to leave any residue behind.
Cleaning a water feeder will involve using the same steps as cleaning a birdbath. Never use the water feeder dish brush on anything you use, drink, or eat. Birds can carry nasty illnesses like the bird flu, which is deadly to cats. Scrub the water feeder with antibacterial soap, then spray it with bleach to sanitize it. Make sure it is 100% free of chemical residue before you add fresh water. As far as water feeders are made from hummingbird feeders, sometimes soaking in hot, soapy water does the trick in those hard-to-reach places.
Water Feeders Support Many Forms of Wildlife
Water feeders are a great way to unite the whole neighborhood, at least in terms of wildlife. You should watch your birdbath or water feeder to see who else is visiting. Water feeders are often found hanging from a branch that not all thirsty animals can reach. With birdbaths, you might glimpse squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats, deer, bears, and whatever else lives in your neighborhood. This is especially true in droughts, winter, or hot summer days.
Imagine you are a small animal, and the winter has frozen all known water sources nearby. Without a water source, you would die. Eating snow would never be enough water to survive off of. By putting out bird feeders, birdbaths and water feeders, you are doing a very good deed for all the wildlife victims in this world, which we have built our homes and cities on top of. Cleaning a water feeder or birdbath daily takes a few minutes. That’s not much when you consider all the lives you are helping.
