Water in Winter is for the Birds

Providing Water in Winter For The Birds

Winter is approaching and, as temperatures plunge below freezing, birds will have difficulty locating a source of open water. Providing a source of fresh water for backyard birds during the winter months can be a very beneficial addition to your winter bird feeding program, often attracting more birds than the seed in your feeders. During winter most birds are only 36 hours away from starvation and the energy from the foods they consume becomes very valuable. That energy can be easily depleted by searching for open water. Eating snow may satisfy a bird’s daily fluid requirement, but also reduces their body temperature requiring additional food to restore energy levels. And just as important as a daily source of water to meet nutritional needs is the ability for a bird to bathe. Clean feathers provide better insulation allowing birds to sustain body temperatures needed to keep warm, and especially helps to conserve energy during cold winter nights. A source of water for the birds in your backyard may be as simple as pouring warm water in a bird bath or dish once or twice a day at approximately the same time. Birds will become accustomed to when that water is available. An easier method is adding a bird bath heater or de-icer to your current bird bath or in a dish. Four season bird baths are for year round use. They contain a built in heating element. You simply plug in these bird baths during the winter months.

Bird Bath Heaters & De-icers
These appliances operate on standard household current. They are thermostatically controlled and range from 60 watts to 500 watts. They are low voltage, consume very little energy to operate, and can be used in plastic, polypropylene, and concrete bird baths. Bird bath heaters provide a larger open water surface area in temperatures of 20 degrees and below. De-Icers provide an ample open water area at temperatures of 20 degrees and below. Both are adequate in providing birds with fresh water for consumption as birds rarely bathe at temperatures below 25 to 30 degrees. 1 to 4 year guarantees. Check out the Bird Bath Heaters available at the Wild Bird Habitat Store

Heated Bird Baths
Heated bird baths have become very popular and have a variety of installation applications. They are thermostatically controlled and range from 60 to 150 watts using very little energy. They provide a good open water surface at temperatures of 20 degrees and below. 1 to 3 year guarantees. Heated Bird Baths are available at the Wild Bird Habitat Store


API 650 Heated Bird Bath

Leave a Reply