Everything You Need To Know About Birdbaths
A traditional birdbath has, in bird terms, relatively deep water—suited for larger birds, like this blue jay. (Photo: iStock)
It’s amazing how many birds I get in my small Toronto backyard—especially during migration in spring and fall, when tiny warblers and other avian visitors rest and fuel up on their way to their breeding grounds farther north.
Many of those birds have flown here from as far as Central or even Southern America, a fact that never fails to bring a lump to my throat. Who wouldn’t want to help these brave, determined little balls of colourful feathers and bright songs?
So I’m constantly trying to upgrade the offerings of my avian rest stop by filling my yard with native plants and leaving fallen leaves in place to enrich the soil and offer lots of buggy foraging for thrushes and other birds.
I’ve also been leaving water out for the birds—first in an old sheet pan on the ground and, more recently, in a vintage concrete birdbath. So far, I’ve seen robins using both, but not much else. Curious if I was doing something wrong, I talked to Olivia Carvalho, community engagement specialist at Birds Canada.
How do birdbaths benefit birds (and humans)?
Birdbaths are a great way to invite birds into your backyard, Carvalho says, and offer a place for birds to drink or splash around in. “That’s especially true in urban areas where it might not be as easy to find water. I wouldn’t say they’re essential to birds—they’re more for human enjoyment—but they’re quite fun to have!”
How should you set up a birdbath?
First up, you need to make sure your space is welcoming to birds—a birdbath alone isn’t enough to draw them in.
“If you've just got lawn and a birdbath, you're probably not going to get very much excitement because there won’t be very many birds attracted to your space.” The biggest draw is native plants, Carvalho says. “Birds are going to be attracted to spaces where they can nest or relax after they've been migrating.” And things like birdbaths or bird feeders are a great bonus for them on top of those natural food and shelter sources.
What kind of birdbath should you get?
It doesn’t have to be a raised birdbath,—even a container on the ground that holds water will work. (In other words, my Value Village baking sheet was just fine.)
I bought a raised bath partly for aesthetics and partly because I thought it might offer a bit of protection from neighbourhood cats, but Carvalho says cats can jump up easily. If you get a raised birdbath, look for one with a removable basin—that will make cleaning easier (more on that later). And if you’ve already got a water feature—a small pond, or a fountain, those are equally good draws for birds.
What kind of birds can you attract with a birdbath?
Traditional column-style birdbaths with a basin at the top have, in bird terms, relatively deep water. That will appeal to bigger birds, like robins or blue jays. But if you want to attract smaller songbirds like warblers, Carvalho says, try putting layers of rocks or pebbles in your water. “That gives them places to land—not only to drink, but to wash themselves. The smaller birds won’t be able to land on the edge and make use of the water in the same way if they don’t have a point in the middle.”
Are birds actually taking a bath?
Yes—or the avian equivalent of it, anyway. They’ll use their beak to splash water on themselves (and also drink).
What about birdbaths in the winter?
I’ve seen heated birdbaths that promise to keep the water ice-free even in subzero temperatures, but Carvalho says that while those might be fun for people, birds generally don’t need open water in the winter—they’re fine with snow. (They’ll roll in it to refresh themselves, and nibble at it for refreshment.)
How should you clean your birdbath—and how often)?
As with a bird feeder, regularly cleaning your birdbath is essential. Change the water frequently and watch for things like algae or droppings—if you see those, clean it immediately. Otherwise, aim for every week or so. You can use a bleach solution or vinegar to clean it, and make sure to rinse thoroughly and then let it dry completely before filling again. (Birds Canada has more cleaning tips—all of which are applicable to birdbaths as well—in its guide to cleaning birdfeeders.)
I’ve put a shallow bowl in the basin of my birdfeeder, which makes cleaning easier (instead of having to scrub out a heavy concrete basin, I just haul the bowl to my basement’s laundry tub where I scrub it with an old dish sponge that I only use for this purpose and dish soap, rinse well, then let it air dry on my deck.)
How can you attract even more birds?
The sound of running water can help attract more birds, so I bought a small solar-powered bubbler which floats in my birdbath and only works sporadically and not particularly well.
But the key to attracting more birds is offering native plants around the bath itself—birds love shrubs, which offer food sources, a place to hide out and to dry out. If you’re unsure where to start with native plants, Carvalho recommends Birds Canada’s Gardening for Birds database.
“No matter what zone you're in Canada, it tells you what shrubs, plants and trees are native to your area—and really that's where people are going to see the biggest difference is when their whole space becomes habitat for birds.”
Love birds? After you’ve planted those native plants, here’s more of what you can do to help our avian friends:
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Born in London, Ontario, Gillian is Chatelaine's deputy editor, digital. She has also worked at Toronto Life and the National Post. Gillian cares deeply about fighting climate change and loves birds, sad lady singers, bikes, baking and wide-legged denim. She lives in Toronto's east end with her partner, two children and Rosie, her very exuberant Bouvier des Flandres.
