A water source is an effective way to attract birds to your backyard. Birds need water for drinking and to maintain their feathers. A water source should be clean and reliable. A birdbath can be as simple as a flower pot or dish to as elaborate as a wildlife pond.

When choosing a birdbath, make sure it is no deeper than 2 to 3 inches. The sides should have a gradual slope. If the sides of the bird bath do not slope, you can add aquarium gravel to the bottom of the bird bath to give birds a place for better footing. The sides of the birdbath should not be slippery. Birdbaths made out of concrete are ideal. Rock fountain

[snip left][/snip]Water that is dirty in a birdbath can spread disease. During periods of high use, they should be scrubbed periodically. To clean birdbaths, use 9 parts water to 1 part bleach.

In the winter, when temperatures are cold, water in birdbaths will freeze. It is important to have thawed water for the birds. A heater or de-icer is a device that is placed into the bird bath to thaw the water. Some birdbaths come with built in heaters.
Birds also find dripping water appealing. Birds that do not normally come to your feeder such as flycatchers and thrushes may be attracted into view with dripping water. You can provide dripping water with a dripper or by making your own. To make your own dripper, you Dripper will need a 10 quart pail. Drill a small hole at the lower edge of the pail. Fill the pail with water and suspend it approximately 2 feet above your bird bath. The drip, drip, drip sound of the moving water will be so irresistible that soon you will be seeing a variety of birds visit your backyard.

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