are heated bird baths safe for winter use in nh? Concern of feathers icing up leaving birds unable to fly?
April 14, 2010 by
Filed under Bird Baths
Comments
10 Responses to “are heated bird baths safe for winter use in nh? Concern of feathers icing up leaving birds unable to fly?”Speak Your Mind
Tell us what you're thinking...and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Heated bird bath? I never heard of such a thing….don’t get them wet, they’ll freeze up even if the water doesn’t….
water can freeze very fast so I say no
LOL…..that’s so stupid it’s funny
bird feathers r waterproof pretty much they r quils and r hollow..they will be fine…i would worry more about the next door neighbor kid with his red ryder….
no matter how stupid we believe them to be
they know their physical limits..
I am glad to hear you can afford such kindness
Yes, birds need water to drink both summer and winter. They will know to not ice themselves up. Besides you will have warm water.
———————————–
There are two ways to keep water opened for birds during winter. The first, simply add a bird bath heater/de-icer to your existing bath. If you already provide water for birds during summer, just add one of these units to your birdbath and plug it in.
The second way to provide water in winter, is with the complete heated bird bath. These are birdbaths sold as a complete unit with the heating element built into the bowl. (see top) Just set it next to your feeders, fill with water, and plug it in.
Bird bathes are mostly for drinking. Non-frozen water sources are difficult to locate in subzero temperatures. I think birds know when to bathe or not. Those that do not know should perish and their stupid genes will then not be past on.
You don’t need a heated birdbath. I just float a rubber ball on the surface of the water. The space between the ball, and the ice is enough for a bird to drink, and it stops the water freezing over solid, so all you need to do is break the ice daily.
The Audubon Society recommends the use of heated birdbaths, so I would say they are perfectly fine to use.
“Birds need water year-round for drinking and feather maintenance. You can provide drinking water in a bird bath with a heater, or in another type of container they can drink from. Feathered bathers prefer a rough-bottomed bird bath that gives them sure footing, and they prefer to bathe knee-deep in the water. Look at the depth of a bird bath before purchasing – some are too deep for small birds. Also, be sure to change the water frequently and scrub the bird bath with a stiff brush and a 10 percent bleach solution weekly to keep it clean.”
http://sbeaudubon.org/faqs.html#water
Margecutter is right:) Heated bird baths work great. They don’t make the water hot, just keeps it from freezing. No different than the pond heaters used to keep the top of koi ponds open. These are wonderful when it’s really cold, and all of the water sources are frozen over.
Birds won’t take a bath when it’s too cold – the main reason for the heater is so they have water to drink.
Get one of those, along with a well-stocked feeder and you’ll have many happy visitors!