How To Attract Birds To Your Birdbath, According To An Expert

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Attracting birds to your backyard birdbath can be rewarding for birders of all ages and is a great way to contribute vital support to local bird populations. That said, there are several important factors to consider to make sure your birdbath actually attracts birds.

According to David Wiedenfeld, Senior Conservation Scientist at American Bird Conservancy, location, cleanliness, and design are important factors to consider if you want to attract birds to your birdbath.

• David Wiedenfeld is a Senior Conservation Scientist at American Bird Conservancy

A birdbath is a place where birds can get water and bathe.

“They can drink the water, which is sometimes important if it is very hot and there aren’t other sources of water, " Wiedenfeld explains. “They don’t need to drink a lot, though, so a birdbath is most important as a place to help them maintain their feathers.”

Feathers are very important to birds, because they keep the birds warm and–most importantly–allow birds to fly.

“Birds have to keep their feathers in good condition to do that, so bathing is a very important activity,” Wiedenfeld says. “Bird ‘bathing’ is a lot about getting the feathers wet followed by preening, to make sure the feathers are well cared-for and lie properly. Of course, birds also use birdbaths as a source of water to drink, especially when it’s very hot or very dry.”

When setting up your birdbath, it’s important to consider location, accessibility, and design.

Location

The placement of a birdbath is important, because a bird that is