Water For The Birds

Birds need water for drinking and bathing, and they need clean water. Clean water can be provided in anything from a small dish, a bird bath to a flowing waterfall or a pond. The smaller the body of water the more important it is to keep it clean. A small bird bath will need a thorough clean out once a week to remove dirt and algae and to prevent fouling. At the other end of the spectrum you will not need to clean out a pond every week as a pond will generally keep itself clean.

One of the important factors during the winter months is to keep the water ice free. This can be done from regularly changing the water in winter or placing a nightlight under a metal container mounted on a number of bricks. Alternatively, just keep removing the ice on a regular basis. Never use any chemicals to keep the water ice free as these will be harmfull to the birds.

Bird baths should be placed away from low cover so that cats cannot hide nearby.