Heating Your Bird Baths

Birds will certainly appreciate the addition of a heat source during the winter months. This will ensure a source of fresh drinking water year round. If you plan to use a water feature or a heater, make sure that the birdbath is located where there is access to a GFCI outlet. The depth and type of surface are also very important. The center part should be about 2 or 3 inches deep and the edges should be shallow to allow the birds to wade into the water. The bottom of the birdbath should be rough because birds do not like their feet to slide. A simple idea to make room for more birds is to add a few rocks to the center of a birdbath to create more perches. If you already have a birdbath that may be too deep or slippery you can modify it by adding pebbles to the bottom.