Birds want shallow, clean water with good footing, and a few things already sitting in your cupboards or garage can provide it. The three below pass that test with small adjustments. Each one covers the depth to aim for, how to fix a slippery surface and how often to clean.
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See Today's PriceOther popular ideas, like mirror tiles, glass floats, marbles and old brass hardware, are left out because they are slippery, roll underfoot or can leach metal into the water.
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1. Glass pie plate
An old glass pie plate has close to the right shape for a bird bath: shallow, with gently sloped sides. Audubon recommends water no more than 2 inches deep, and an inch or so suits small songbirds. The weak point is footing. Glass is slick, and Penn State Extension notes that birds prefer rough surfaces, so set a flat stone or a few rough pebbles in the plate.
Place it on level ground or a stump with shrubs nearby for cover, but not so close that a cat can hide within pouncing range. Change the water daily in summer to stop mosquito larvae, and bring the plate in before a hard freeze, since ice can crack glass.
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2. Stainless steel mixing bowl
A stainless mixing bowl can work, but not straight out of the cupboard. Most are deeper than the 1 to 2 inches birds prefer, and polished steel is slippery, not non-slip. Fill the bottom with clean gravel or flat stones until the water over them is 1 to 2 inches deep, and let a few stones break the surface as landing spots. Audubon notes that stones also help birds judge how deep the water is.
Sink the bowl into soil or mulch so it can’t tip. Metal warms quickly in direct sun, so choose a spot with afternoon shade. Scrub it weekly and change the water daily in warm weather.
3. River rocks for footing and depth
A jar of smooth rocks from an old creek-side trip is the most useful keepsake on this list. A few large pebbles or a flat stone give birds something to stand on, which matters most in glazed or plastic baths. Arrange them so one side stays under an inch deep and the deepest part tops out at about 2 inches, with one or two stones breaking the surface.
Lift the rocks out and scrub them along with the bath each week. Rocks won’t keep the water clean, so fresh water still matters. One caution if you’re adding to the collection: taking rocks from national parks, including Yellowstone, is prohibited under federal rules. Use landscape-supply stones instead.
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