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How to Provide Ice Free Water for Birds in Winter
Posted by MaryG | Added on : January 22, 2013 6:19pm | Last edited: January 22, 2013 6:20pm | Viewed 2519 times | 0 Comments
How to Provide Ice Free Water for Birds in Winter
To every bird, water remains a vital resource throughout the year. However, when it comes to winter, the poor beings are handicapped by the dearth of unfrozen water. Although, people in general are not concerned about this problem as they are unaffected by it, there are those who care enough to want to do something about it, by making available melted water to birds. In order to do this, bird lovers install heated birdbaths so that the feathered creatures continue to have unfrozen water even during the frozen winter months. Besides, a heated birdbath tends to attract birds from all around likes bees to honey.
Birds need water not only for drinking but also for bathing and this is especially true during winter. They need to get wet even during sub-zero temperatures for the simple reason that when they get their feathers dirty, they do not as a rule insulate well. A quick tumble in the warm bath brings their soft feathers back to perform at their best.
How to set up a bird bath
You have two choices in setting up a heated bird bath: a dish with a built-in heater or installing a heater to your existing birdbath. A built in thermostat is preferable so that the bath conserves power by turning itself on only when it is necessary to maintain the water in an ice-free condition. And it would be better, if an all-weather heavy duty extension cord is used to plug the whole thing in.
A bird bath mounted on a tilt deck lets you tilt as well as dump the birdbath off the deck while cleaning or refilling. In case you feel like equipping your existing bath with a heater, it is better to use a plastic or metal dish as it can bear sub-zero temperatures without getting chipped or cracked in the process. Heating elements are available in various sizes and shapes to contain the specific shape and size of your existing bird bath. And while you are at it, ensure that there is sufficient room for the birds to enter and bathe, by choosing the right heating element.
An interesting gadget that can be fitted to your heated bird bath is a water wiggler. It is operated with a battery and makes ripples on the surface of the water to catch the attention of the birds. The gadget is a sure way to attract birds from all around. However, a water wiggler can only be used in a heated birdbath free of all ice.
Whether it’s a fancy bird bath heater or something you rig up to keep the water from freezing, it’s important to make sure your feathered friends have access to water throughout the winter. Plus, the enjoyment you will get by watching them will more than make up for any cost or time spent.
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