How much water to put in bird bath
Certainly it can depend on your bird bath depth but its vital to manipulate depth of water by adding pebbles to the water bowl to control the level at all times.
How much water you put in a bird bath will depend on what size birds come to your bird bath; small songbirds will require a 1 inch depth while larger birds will appreciate 2 inches. Fill the bird bath 1 inch only to accommodate all size birds, while replenishing regularly in summer months as a busier time.
If we can all get on board with just the one inch depth regardless of what type of bird bath you have in use, then we can guarantee our common backyard birds remain safe.
While larger birds like Cardinals and Blue Jays will want a 2 inch depth, our Warblers or Finches could avoid using this too deep bird bath water source.
How you bring the bird bath water depth from a too deep bird bath water bowl all the way up to just the one inch depth - is with help of small water-safe pebbles.
Pebbles can be added to any type of bird bath to a level that will depend on your bird bath in use. You'd need to fill the bird bath with how much it takes to bring the pebbles up to 1 or 2 inches from the top or the bowl.
What will happen is additional rain water especially will spill over the sides, and this is how you create your own bird bath flood defense.
No way now can bird baths get deep every time it rains while the bird bath is made safe at all times, for all size birds.... including vulnerable juvenile birds.
With the bird bath water depth kept to a safe 1 or 2 inches of your choosing, you can now think about replenishing the water as regularly as you can in order to keep the bird bath water clear - and unfortunately that will mean cleaning out the pebbles.
Keep bird bath water clear that will follow up with a regular clean by washing the bird bath in soapy water.
Birds will find a bird bath that has clean glistening water as seen by passing birds overhead, yet a bird bath that is allowed to deteriorate will find less birds use it.
Fill to top in busy yards
Well, that isn't exactly true because a too deep bird bath can course smaller songbirds to get in trouble, and that can lead to drowning.
What I am referring to is you'd need to keep a bird bath filled to the top in a bird bath that doesn't seem to have trouble attracting large birds to it. Bird baths positioned in a lit up area will see success - yet an hidden dark corner is sure to see far less.
Why you'd fill a bird bath to the top is because you don't want to disturb birds who visit your bird bath regularly.
Your presence alone is enough to scare off most birds for a short while - and with most bird baths regularly ignored as it is - you don't want to waste this remarkable opportunity to continue with an high success rate.
Replenish any bird bath to the very top then so you can afford water to spill as wild birds bathe, or the water will be drunk over several hours, without your interference.
How to keep water in a bird bath is filling it up to the top every once in a while.
While filling a bird bath to the top could lead to your bird bath depth being far to deep for smaller birds, I would only fill it to the top in still a shallow bird bath bowl.
Still, you'd want to aim for a 2 inch maximum depth if your bird bath has a knack of being occupied primarily by larger birds like Cardinals or Blue Jays.
Keep it to safe 1 inch depth
Really, how much water to put in your bird bath to make it safe for all size wild birds - and those that are too young to know better - only fill your bird bath one inch.
One inch bird bath water depth may seem too shallow but believe me even the smaller birds will be happy to enter the water without fear of drowning.
Bird baths can be too deep even at the maximum 2 inches, yet a 1 inch depth will cater to all birds.
Large birds may not be happy about it - particularly those who came to bathe - yet this 1 inch depth is sure to remain a safe level for all birds.
Depth a little under one inch may be getting too shallow while at the same time you risk it quickly deteriorating under the summer sun - and therefore the water disappearing far sooner than you anticipated.
Above an inch depth with a little room for margin of error is perfectly safe though any deeper then it can in fact keep a lot of birds using your bird bath.
Extra in summer
While bird baths can be used all your long you can be sure a water source like this will see an uptake in summer time.
Summer can lead to drought of course of which you can expect natural water resources to be depleted where wild birds usually drink or bathe.
Bird baths will become a life line in this time thus the bird bath must be kept replenished.
Not full like I originally suggested for busy backyards full of larger birds - but you'd want to aim for that 1 inch depth through the summer months - in order to provide for all size birds now... while it isn't to later until you will know what size birds to prioritized for.
With bird baths often placed under the direct sun you can be sure the sun will quickly dry up a shallow bird bath water dept, thus a better location is needed.
Bird baths should really be placed in the sun because its a visible location, as oppose to an isolated corner mostly covered in shade.
Focus on a well lit up location for your bird bath in order to attract birds to a bird bath sitting in the light - yet prioritize the shade to sustain the water for longer.
You may need to replenish the bird bath water level more regularly in the summer time, even if the bird bath doesn't appear to be getting used.
To keep the bird bath water cool in summer you could replenish it with ice cubes or fresh water from the tap on a regular basis
Less water in cold winter
How much water you put in a bird bath in summer is far less than autumn and winter months, that I can assure you.
While summer months will see the bird bath water rapidly deteriorate in the sun - just as it would in the wild - colder months will actually sustain the water.
In fact, the colder months will also starve off mold or algae as its something that grows faster in the heat with high humidity. Winter has its benefits of course though I'd still need to clean your bird bath regularly in winter.
Less water will need to be added to your bird bath in winter but you'd need to still make sure its steady at a 1 inch depth.
Of course the winter weather can bring high winds which can blow water out of your bird bath bowl.
Whereas the the winter months can regularly freeze over a bird bath which will lead to water being made unavailable. And if your bird bath can freeze over, then you can certainly expect wild birds water to be frozen elsewhere
With that in mind you could think about leaving some room in your bird bath to pour in additional hot water to at least try and melt the ice.
Bird baths can be kept from freezing over by pouring in hot water regularly, with an option to use more water as a shallow depth will quickly turn into an ice cube.
To conclude
How much water do you put in a bird bath will certainly depend on your circumstances, with a target of just 1 inch from the top to accommodate all size birds.
What happens if you can't guarantee a 1 inch depth from the top of the bird bath rim at all times? No problem, you can simply put pebbles into a bird bath to create a safe and consistent water depth that will stay steady 100% of times... as access rain will flood over which will cause the water to spill over the edge.
Busy yards with a number of large size birds will want a bird bath kept full, in order to stop you going outside every once in a while that will scare off birds.
Fill busy bird baths to the top while baring in mind you'd still need to aim for a 1 or 2 inch depth, utilizing the technique of adding pebbles.
Overall, I would never put more than 1 inch - from the top of the bird bath rim - of water into a bird bath as it can jeopardize many small songbirds safety.
How much water to put in a bird bath all year long is 1 inch, with the possibility of a small margin of error either way, within reason.
Summer time will see an uptake of use thus its vital to replenish the bird bath more regularly at this time of year... while again always aiming for that 1 inch depth.
Faulty bird baths could leak water which will need your personal intervention, yet an unstable bird bath will need to be made stable with sand or pebbles on the ground, in order to prevent water spilling as the bird bath rocks back and forth.
How much water goes in a bird bath isn't always about replenishing for wild birds only.
Water must be added every time the bird bath is cleaned yet the water must be emptied every few days just to keep the water clean and clear for birds.
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