March 30, 2020
By Keith Sutton
Providing a birdbath or other source of water will help increase the variety of birds seen in your backyard. (Keith Sutton photo)
For even more birds, provide a bird bath, fountain, garden pool or other water source. Water, in various forms, will attract insect- and worm-eating birds like catbirds, tanagers and warblers that might not otherwise be drawn in.
The simplest way to provide birds a drink is in a birdbath mounted on a pedestal. These are available in a wide range of prices, materials and styles. You can get a plastic model at a discount store for as little as $10, or you can pay hundreds of dollars for an ornate ceramic creation with cherubs spouting water. It doesn’t really matter which you choose. As long as the water you provide is clean and changed frequently, birds are likely to use it.
Some people hang a garden hose over a birdbath and adjust the valve to produce a steady drip. The sound and motion of the falling water is a great attraction for birds and will draw them in from some distance to drink and bathe.
You can build a portable dripper without a hose in minutes. Take a bucket or can (preferably covered, to reduce evaporation and exclude trash) and punch a half-inch hole in the bottom. Thread a piece of cotton cloth snugly through the hole so it hangs out the bottom an inch or so. Adjust the fit so it drips two or three times a second, and place it over a birdbath, pan or other shallow water receptacle to produce a dripping sound.
An even better solution is to set up a birdbath with moving water that is pumped from one level to another. If you’re really industrious, and have the time and money, you can build a backyard garden pool with a waterfall and fountain. Or go the inexpensive route and buy a hose attachment that creates a fine water mist. These work best when mounted in the low branches of a tree. The mist dripping off leaves and branches has a hypnotic effect on some birds, which will take lengthy showers in the drizzle and sip drops from leaf tips.
