Do birds need a source of water in winter? Before you answer that, eat a handful of crackers or pretzels and take a brisk walk outside. How thirsty are you? Aren’t you glad you have an unfrozen source of water? Just like you, wild birds need water, but in the dead of winter open water is harder to find than food.
A dependable source of water during the cold winter months will attract birds that you might not normally see at your feeders. In fact, you can enjoy putting out a water source even if you are not able to provide seed or other food. Birds get some moisture from their food; however most still need to drink at least once or twice each day. They also need to bathe regularly to help keep them warm. In cold weather, birds fluff up their feathers to keep warm but when their feathers are dirty and matted, they can’t fluff and they lose that critical insulation.
For drinking water, you can simply put out a small bowl or basin and refill it a few times during the day to keep it from icing up. Birds will use the same water for drinking and bathing, but for bathing it’s important that the water be quite shallow, from 1-1/2 – 3 inches. In general, a bath with a rough, sloping bottom that bird feet can get a grip on is best. Whether you choose a ground, pedestal, deck mounted or hanging bath is a personal choice. The important thing is that you keep your bath clean and full.
So how do you keep your birdbath from turning into an avian skating rink? You can buy heated baths like the All Seasons Scalloped Bath (shown here). It only draws 120-watts but the water in mine has not frozen up, even after days of sub-zero weather. You can also try placing a birdbath heater in a regular bath. Be sure to buy one that is thermostatically controlled; ours runs only when the water temperature is below 35 degrees.
If you haven’t already added a winter water source to your yard or deck, I encourage you to try it. It is a fun and easy way to support birds during the harsh winter months, while enjoying a wider range of birds than you would otherwise see.
Make every day a happy bird day!
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By Dan Heims, President, Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Photographs courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Terra Nova’s breeders have created a series of outstanding world-class echinaceas that are consistent in size, bloom power, color intensity and are a pollinator buffet. What’s not to like.
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