What’s Better for Birds: Feeders or Birdbaths?
Birdbath in a wildscape. Photo courtesy of Sheryl Smith-Rodgers.
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Which would you rather have in your yard: a bird feeder or a birdbath?
05— A birdbath to me is way more important than a bird feeder.
Cliff Shackelford is a non-game ornithologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Why add a birdbath? Enjoyment: yours and the bird’s.
11—You’ll get much more enjoyment watching your backyard birds if you put up a birdbath than a bird feeder. They’ll use that birdbath year-round. They’ll use it for drinking. They’ll use it for bathing.
Sounds like easy, inexpensive entertainment that helps wildlife. Yet, Cliff says there’s more to a birdbath than just keeping it filled.
21— You want to make sure you keep it clean. Now, I don’t mean you have to get out there every day and scrub it. But, every couple of weeks, you want to probably hose it out and let the sun bake and dry it. You don’t want to use harsh chemicals. But, a birdbath is a welcome sight. And especially if you’re in areas where you don’t get a lot of rainfall—or in times of drought—a birdbath is going to be essential for our birds.
Not all birdbaths are created equal. I’ll have tips on the best kinds of birdbaths tomorrow.
For birding and wildscaping information, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.
That’s our show… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram
For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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