When do birds use bird baths
If you feel its that time of year to put out a bird bath again, believe it or not you are way too late, as there's never a better time to put out a bird bath.
When birds use a birds bath all year, less so in wetter months but more so in times of drought or summer months. It can feel as if wild birds never use a bird bath, but while you don't see them use it, that is not to say they don't - as birds need to re-hydrate and preen their feathers at all times.
Birds use a bird bath in the yard any time of the year, but for birds to use it more it must be present at all times, to become a reliable water source.
Unlike bird feeders that are guaranteed to be used daily, several times a day - that is not so true with bird baths as you may know.
That is because water is plentiful in the wild most of the year so less energy is used up to find it. Whereas birds burn up a lot of energy foraging for food, so to use a bird bath can play a crucial part of their daily routine.
Regardless, water to re-hydrate is vital for the survival of wild birds, so they need to drink several times daily.
And while most of their drinking or bathing takes place in ponds or puddles, including river edges - a bird bath plays it part if the timing is right when they come to your backyard.
Offer a reliable source of water every day of the year but never allow it to dry up, or don't ever forget about maintaining the bird bath over the course of its use.
Birds use bird baths all year
What time you decide to put out your bird bath or decide to setup a new one in your backyard, anytime of the year, that would be the time to use a bird bath.
Bird baths are not dependant on weather, season or what mother nature is doing; birds do use bird baths to re-hydrate and bathe to clean there feathers, in which is an important part of their nature.
No barriers to use a bird bath as its used as a water source for birds to access throughout the day, as wild birds need to drink to stay alive.
Less so a bird bath is used as an actual place to bathe, but indeed there are times when birds do need to preen their feathers, to keep them healthy.
Every single day of the year backyards birds can be seen to use a bird bath to drink or bathe - but for sure it can be seen to be used more in the summer months.
More so in drought
While all birds that use a bird bath will certainly do so all year round, an uptake of its use can be more noticeable through the summer months for sure.
Summer can lead to a short spell of drought where water resources in the wild dry up.
Likewise, a severe drought can not only dry up all puddles, ponds and streams; this can then result in birds surviving only on the H2O within the confines of a bird bath.
Bird baths if used at all, will be used through spring as the weather gets a little warmer, then into the hot summer months.
It can be a little disappointing to see less birds in the fall, through wintertime as they perch around the rim of a bird bath - but don't feel you need to dismantle the bird bath as it must still be used.
That is due to colder, wetter winter months brings along lots of rain with it, so as water resources are plentiful in nature - there's less need for a more hassle to use bird bath.
Less so if water is plentiful
Misconception with people is birds would only use a bird bath in summer, and in many respects that is absolutely true.
However, summer months can still see plenty of rainfall with no risk of dried up ponds or streams, so therefore a bird bath won't see an uptake in the hotter months as you would assume.
When there's water to use in the wild, for sure birds would rather drink out of a cavity with water near their nesting site, or prefer to drop down into a puddle to take a quick bath.
Bird baths are not guaranteed to be used in the summer, or warmer months if it coincides with still wet weather.
Rain retained in ponds and natural watering holes are kept full, but if not at least offers an abundance of water where birds would prefer to re-hydrate or bathe, rather than visit a bird bath that is not reliable or a guarantee.
Bird baths not seasonal
Come spring, summer, autumn or wintertime, a bird bath made in any material can be used throughout the year, whatever the weather.
And just so you know, outdoor bird baths are made just for that, so little to no damage would be visibly seen on what the bird bath happens to be made in.
Never do you need to bring your bird bath indoors in fear of it not being used.
Birds may not use a bird bath in the warmer months of spring and summer, but that is not to say they wouldn't need it, or indeed require a water source urgently if they happen to fail to find water if the ground dries up.
To not use a bird bath in the colder, frosty months of autumn can have in impact still as a long spell of dry weather can see watering holes in nature dry up.
And well that's less likely to be seen in winter, what can go wrong in sub zero temperatures is the ground freezes up, while ponds, puddles and even bird baths freeze over, thus birds do not have access to visible water source.
If its warm, hot, chilly or just darn freezing out, bird baths must be used to counter the lack of, or the frozen over of water.
Conclusion
When to use a bird bath is 365 days of the year, believe it or not. Its not just about the spring or summertime, as bird baths play a crucial part of wild birds survival.
Birds need to drink around the clock just like farm animals, pets and people; thus a water source must be readily available.
Bird baths can offer this easy access to fresh water, and while bird baths are seen to not be used very often, birds still come to rely on bird baths when the weather turns severe, such as in drought or in freezing conditions.
When the summer months bring drought that means water dries up in nature, so its becomes no longer accessible to most wildlife. Similarly, drought can effect birds natural feeding behavior, as insects die out.
With that in mind it would be wise to use a bird bath that is near to bird feeders, as both can be seen at any given time.
Bird baths are not a novelty, to be used only a few months of the year when you can be bothered. Its vital birds have access to a reliable water source, in which a bird bath would become if its in your backyard every day of the year.
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