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Water for Wildlife - Birdbath Basics & More

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Bluebirds - “busy bird bath” by plant4wildlife on Flickr.

Bluebirds - “busy bird bath” by plant4wildlife on Flickr.

“Providing clean water at the proper level in the correct habitat at the right time of year is one of the most useful management tools for attracting birds and improving wildlife habitat”
— The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds

It's easy to overlook water as a critical feature in your wildlife-friendly landscape, especially here in the Northeast where water is relatively abundant. However, access to water can be a very limiting factor in an otherwise high-quality habitat with abundant food, cover, and shelter.

This time of year adequate water can be hard to come by, particularly for species that may occupy a small local area, such as pollinators, songbirds, reptiles, and amphibians. In the wintertime, water can be largely inaccessible due to frozen conditions.

Providing water can be something as simple as re-purposing a garbage can lid to building an elaborate wildlife pond.

Assess your landscape needs, budget and resources (time and money) and take the next step providing water for wildlife today – at any scale.

Three Ways to Provide Water for Wildlife:

1. A (Better) Birdbath – not just a pretty one
Birdbaths provide safe, year-round access to clean, open water when properly maintained and sited.  A simple birdbath is a low-cost, easy maintenance way to provide birds with water for bathing and drinking. Your birdbath should:

  • be no deeper than 3″,

  • have gently sloping sides/edges (many manufactured bird baths have sides that are too steep),

  • have a textured surface,

  • be free of algae, bacteria and mosquito larvae (clean with mild soap once a week),

  • be heated in the winter (you can purchase a heated birdbath or add a heater to an existing one), and

  • be safe from predators. If house or stray cats are in the area, choose a raised bird bath, at least 3′ off the ground, and place it in the open and at least 15′ away from shrubs. The best scenario is to keep your cats indoors, which will allow you to attract more secretive birds like warblers, vireos, and wood thrushes that prefer bathing in tucked away areas near shrubs and trees. Also, keep in mind that ground-level baths better mimic natural puddles and are likely to attract more species. Therefore, if cat predation is not an issue think about constructing a birdbath on the ground with a metal garbage can lid and other everyday materials. You can also take advantage of a bit of ledge, or exposed granite with a natural depression. Get creative, and have fun!

Bird bath in habitat garden (by plant4wildlife on Flickr).

Bird bath in habitat garden (by plant4wildlife on Flickr).

2. Provide Pollinators with A Wee Drink
Butterflies and honeybees need a water source beyond what they acquire from nectar. Birdbaths are generally too wide and deep for these pollinators. Add corks and stones to a shallow birdbath so they can safely hydrate at birdbaths.

A shallow tray of water and stones is another way to provide pollinators with a safe drinking station (see photos below). Please note: you’re not likely to see many native bees at these water sources, as they don’t typically need supplemental water.

To limit mosquito breeding, just change the water in your bath or tray every five days or so.

Drinking station for bees at Highland Organics®, Inc & Highland Blueberry Farm. Photo courtesy of MOFGA.

Drinking station for bees at Highland Organics®, Inc & Highland Blueberry Farm. Photo courtesy of MOFGA.

3. Build a Pond…or a Natural Swimming Pool!
A small backyard frog pond, or a larger wildlife pond will greatly enhance the habitat value of a property, especially when done well.

  • If you are serious about pursuing this, consider ordering this book from your local bookstore: Building Natural Ponds: Create a Clean, Algae-free Pond without Pumps, Filters, or Chemicals by Robert Pavlis of gardenmyths.com, or check out his YouTube channel.

  • If you have a bigger budget for aquatic habitat design—or just want to “ooh” and “aah” over the pictures in the gallery—check out Robin’s Nest LLC based in Hollis. Christopher Paquette has deep experience and works with homes and businesses to design and install many types of water features from water gardens and fountains to natural swimming pools. In my mind, a natural swim pond is the ultimate, oh-so-dreamy double-duty water feature that would provide habitat as well as beautiful, clean water for swimming! One can always dream, right?!

Wildlife pond at a client property in Greene, Maine (photo: Deb Perkins).

Wildlife pond at a client property in Greene, Maine (photo: Deb Perkins).

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#ThePersonalEcologistI partner with eco-minded landowners to create thriving wildlife habitats in their backyards, gardens, fields and farms, woods or campuses - at any scale.I have 25 years of experience in my field, and a lifelong commitment to wi…

#ThePersonalEcologist

I co-create biodiverse habitats with eco-minded stewards throughout the Northeast - at any scale.

I have 30 years of experience and a lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation.

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Deborah Perkins