Attracting More Backyard Birds With Water

Bird watching in my own backyard is quite possibly one of the most relaxing and enjoyable things I have ever done. There is something that’s so enjoyable, so satisfying about watching birds come from miles around to take a turn at the feeder or take a dip in a nearby birdbath.

If you have spent some time feeding and watching birds in your own yard, you probably already know just how fun birding is so close to home. Watching them interact with one another and seeing new birds for the first time in the backyard is, well, for us bird watchers, almost like Christmas morning.

It’s literally a gift from nature that keeps on giving and it can be enjoyed every day of the year, in fact.

I have been feeding and watching birds in my own backyard for many years now but it was just a few years ago when I learned first-hand how I can have even more success bringing in a greater number of and sometimes a greater variety of birds to my yard.

By adding a birdbath to my yard, I quickly learned by providing a steady water source greatly helped attract more birds to the backyard and it didn’t take long for it to work either. Once the birds found the water, I was filling up the birdbath daily and I continue to do so even unto this very day.

Having water in your yard can also bring in some new and occasionally rare bird sightings. One example of this was earlier this year when I went out back and found a summer tanager sitting in my birdbath. They are extremely rare in my neck of the woods and since I currently only feed thistle seeds, it was the water and other birds that brought him to my yard.

My brother, who recently caught the backyard bird watching bug himself, has also learned of this simple addition of water to his yard for attracting more birds, as well. Last summer, he started with backyard bird feeding, and almost immediately he purchased and put out a simple birdbath. It wasn’t anything fancy but rather just a small heated ground-level birdbath.

Once the birds found it, and that didn’t take long at all mind you, they were coming to the water daily and each day more and more birds arrived. After the first couple of weeks, one bird at the water soon turned into 3 or 4 at the birdbath, and eventually, that blossomed to a nearly continuous stream of birds now coming to bath and take a quick drink at his watery offerings.

Just over a year later, his yard is currently adorned with multiple bird baths comprising of several different varieties and it has become our weekly bird watching activity almost every weekend of the year.

He has multiple and several different types of feeders as well and this combination of food and water in close proximity to each other literally brings in hundreds of birds at a time to his yard, even more so during the cold winter months when both food and water are a scarcity.

Like my yard, his success started with one or two birds finding the water and over time those first birds did indeed help attract more and more birds. Birds do watch and follow other birds to food and water sources so once the word gets out it is only a matter of time when new birds will find and come to your yard because of a reliable and oftentimes a much-needed source of water.

Even if you aren’t currently putting out a wide variety of bird food, adding water to your yard can actually help attract birds not currently being fed by your feeders. All birds need water and they need it daily so even if you don’t have a wide variety of birdseed being put out, adding a simple birdbath can help bring in a greater variety of birds on its own.

Currently, I actually only put out nyjer seed for my backyard birds because the house sparrows have literally overrun my other seed feeders but I constantly have water in my yard and I still enjoy a nice variety of birds year-round simply because of the daily water source I offer them.

During the hot summer months here in Utah, finding water in our dry, arid climate can be a challenge for birds and it is why adding a simple birdbath can help bring in a lot more birds to one’s yard.

There are some things I have learned from experience that have helped attract more birds with water. It’s pretty simple really but doing a few specific things with your birdbath can help attract more birds and help attract them quicker, especially if you are already feeding birds in your yard.

At the end of this post, I have included further information about the birdbaths shown in this blog post and actually used by me and my brother.

Do birds like running water?

Birds are attracted to both the sight and sound of running water and having a bird fountain with moving water will attract more birds to your yard. We have found this out first-hand as during the summer months our birds most definitely use the fountain with running water a lot more than the traditional birdbath.

That’s not to say the standard birdbaths don’t attract birds, they do indeed attract our avian friends but I’ll get into those birdbaths in a moment.

These fountain-styled bird baths are always attracting birds such as goldfinches, house finches, robins, and many other species of birds in my brother’s yard. Some come only to take a quick drink but others come to frolic in the moving water for a bit.

We have to take them down in the winter months when things freeze but from our experience, during the spring, summer, and early fall, the fountain type bird baths are what we have found to be the most attractive for the birds which visit his yard.

If you don’t have or can’t afford a fountain birdbath, you can still put out a traditional birdbath like I do and still attract birds. I currently use the concrete pedestal style bird bath I’ve had for years as I don’t have a fountain yet. It will still work just fine so if you are like me and don’t have a fountain bird bath yet, put out your traditional birdbath and just enjoy the birds.

The most important thing is just to have a steady supply of clean water each day for them regardless of what kind of bird bath it is.

Why are birds not coming to my birdbath?

There are a number of reasons why birds might not be coming to your birdbath. If the birdbath is constantly out of water, the birds won’t see it as a reliable source and will most likely find other water sources. If the birdbath is filthy dirty, it could be making birds sick which will affect birds coming to your water.

Location is also a good reason why birds are not finding the water and I will get more into this in a minute as the location is very important when putting out water for birds.

Another possible reason why your birdbath isn’t being used is there might be other households in your neighborhood putting out both a great variety of food as well as water so you might be competing with other people for the bird’s attention.

If they are offering both food and water in close proximity to each other, that is really attractive to birds so the neighbors just might be out competing you for the birds.

If you are only putting out water, try adding a birdseed feeder to help bring the birds to your yard instead of your neighbor’s yard. If you are already putting out food, try putting out other types of feeders to help attract the birds back to your yard.

Just be patient and keep your birdbath and feeders filled and allow some time for it to work.

Should a birdbath be in the sun or shade?

Putting a birdbath in either the sun or shade will depend on your climate and also the time of year. In the summer months, I suggest putting the birdbath in the shade, especially if you are in a hot climate. Algae can and will form in all birdbaths and keeping them in the shade will help, in part, with this eventual problem.

During the winter months, especially when and where the water does freeze, I opt to keep the birdbath in the sun as much as possible to help keep the water from freezing so quickly, thus giving the birds more time to come to the water and get a drink.

How far should a birdbath be from a feeder?

Whenever possible, putting the birdbath within a few feet of a bird feeder will help your birds find it more quickly. It is also best to put both the bird feeder and birdbath near a tree if you have one because trees are natural places birds tend to reside in and putting both the water and food nearby trees and even large bushes will help the birds find them more quickly.

Should I put rocks in my birdbath?

Putting small rocks in deeper birdbaths will help give access to the water for the smaller birds that come to your yard. Some birdbaths, especially some of the concrete pedestal types are a bit deeper than other birdbaths.

Large birds don’t seem to have a problem bathing in these deeper bird baths but smaller birds such as goldfinches might be at a disadvantage with the larger birdbaths. By adding some small rocks big enough so the tops stick out of the water it will help these smaller birds utilize the birdbath more effectively.

Will a birdbath attract birds even if I don’t put out bird food in my yard?

Birdbaths used by themselves will attract birds to your yard because birds do have to find and drink water each day. And for those of us who don’t want the mess of birdseed, just putting out water is a great way to attract birds and not have the eventual mess bird seed can sometimes cause in your yard.

Having both food and water will be the best way to attract birds in your yard but if you can’t or don’t want to feed the birds, you can still attract them by putting out a birdbath near a tree or bush, someplace where they are near some cover for protection from predators.

Do birdbaths attract mosquitoes?

One of the drawbacks of putting out water for birds is they can attract mosquitoes if you’re not careful. This can be offset, however, by changing the water daily and by using a bird fountain in the summer months.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water but by changing the water daily or by having a bird fountain with constantly moving water, this will help eliminate mosquitoes from being able to lay eggs in your water sources.

How deep should the water be in a birdbath?

Ideally, water about an inch deep is best for most birds to bathe in, especially if you get a lot of smaller birds such as house finches and goldfinches like we do. This does, however, require the birdbath to be filled more often but changing or filling the water daily will help keep both the mosquitoes and algae at bay.

If you do have a deeper birdbath, as previously mentioned, add some small rocks with the tops sticking out of the water so smaller birds can use it as well. If you are like us, we have enough birds coming to the yard that we put out several different types of birdbaths for a variety of different types of birds to use.

Are hanging birdbaths good?

I have used hanging birdbaths in the past but I get enough wind here to where I found the hanging birdbaths weren’t feasible. If you are in an area with little wind you could try a hanging bird bath but from my experience, I prefer the ones stationed on the ground.

What is the best location for a birdbath?

The best location for a birdbath is putting it where a bird naturally wants to be and that is near a tree or large bush. Birds feel safer in trees and are more protected from predators as such so by putting your water near a tree the birds will feel a lot safer and will be more inclined to use it.

That’s not to say putting a birdbath out in the open won’t eventually attract birds, it will over time but you will find birds are more willing to use birdbaths when they feel safer and can be nearby trees and shrubs for protection.

As mentioned before, my brother started bird feeding last summer and when he first put out his birdbath it was near a pile of cut limbs from his fruit trees, which were also nearby. By having his birdbath so close to the trees and pile of limbs, the birds found it rather quickly.

It literally took only a day or so before the first bird was seen using it because they were already using this area for cover so, if you can, place the birdbath near some kind of tree or bushes where the birds are already congregating in your yard.

How often should you change the water in a birdbath?

Water in a birdbath should be changed daily whenever possible. This will help keep the birdbath cleaner and will also help keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in any stale, stagnant water leftover from days before.

Conclusion

Feeding birds in your backyard is a most enjoyable hobby. I have spent countless hours watching birds in my own backyard over the years and I have learned by adding a simple birdbath even more birds can be attracted to the yard.

Adding a birdbath is a simple but yet effective way to bring in not only more birds but sometimes also rare bird species to your yard, especially if you place your water near some protective cover, such as a tree or large bush.

By utilizing a fountain-style birdbath during the summer I am certain has helped bring in birds with the sight and sound of running water and has also helped keep the mosquitoes at bay at the same time. On the same note, having a heated birdbath does keep the water from freezing in our cold winter climate and birds do indeed need daily water during winter.

I hope these suggestions help you in attracting more and a wider variety of birds to your yard and I hope you enjoy bird watching, both in your yard and abroad, as much as I do. I appreciate your readership and offer you to subscribe to my blog for email notifications on future blog posts.

For more information about the birdbaths mentioned in this blog post

I offer my suggestions below on the actual bird baths my brother currently uses and does have great success with attracting and enjoying birds in his backyard. We keep water year-round in both our yards with my brother using both a fountain style bath and heated bird bath at different times of the year while I still use my concrete pedestal bird bath which I fill with water every day of the year.

For more information about these particular birdbaths or to make a purchase, click the image links below. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #commissionearned

These two birdbaths are currently being used by my brother in his yard with great success.

Heated Bird Bath

GESAIL Heated Birdbath for Outdoors, 14 Inches All Seasons Heated Bird Bath Heater with Metal Stand and 3 Easy Ways to Mount, 75-Watt, Orange.

Fountain-styled Bird Bath

Unfortunately at the time of writing this blog post, the stump version of the water fountain shown above that we are using in my brother’s yard is out of stock so I substituted a rock version which would be almost the exact same fountain in principle and should attract birds in the same manner.

Sunnydaze Electric Outdoor Water Fountain – Stone Waterfall Feature for Yard or Garden – Tiered with LED Lights – 24 Inch Height