Before choosing the best bird bath, it’s worth taking a few moments to establish all of the different options at your disposal.
Get this right and you’ll enhance your garden with a decorative ornament, while at the same time providing your local birds with all the drinking and bathing water they need.
We’re here to help you with that today, so here are the main types of bird bath up for grabs.
I. 8 Different Types of Bird Bath
Here are the most common types of bird bath:
- Pedestal or freestanding bird baths
- Hanging bird baths
- Wall-hanging bird baths
- Ground bird baths
- Mounted bird baths
- Fountain bird baths
- Solar bird baths
- Heated bird baths
1) Pedestal or freestanding bird baths
The most popular type of bird bath is a freestanding or pedestal design.
These bird baths are simple in terms of design and execution. You get a water bowl set on top of a pedestal, allowing the birds to bathe and drink at a safe distance from the ground. This allows the birds to relax without feeling menaced by predators.
The popularity of pedestal bird baths means you can find this style in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
Of all bird baths, this type of usually the heaviest, especially when it’s made from cast iron or concrete.
2) Hanging bird baths
Most hanging bird baths are extremely shallow. You suspend this type of bird bath from a tree branch or a hook in the yard using the chain provided.
The capacity of these bird baths is limited, but you can pick these bird baths up without spending a fortune.
As an added bonus, this style of bird bath can hang right outside your window, giving you a perfect vantage point from which to watch the birds at play.
3) Wall-hanging bird baths
This type of hanging bird bath, as the name makes abundantly clear, is mounted flush against a wall.
You can hang these bird baths on a fence or the side of your house as well as on the wall.
If the bird bath is protected by a roof overhang, you’ll prevent dirt and debris from tumbling into the water.
4) Ground bird baths
Ground bird baths are simple but highly effective. You get a bowl or basin that rests on the ground.
Pigeons, duck, and quail are all liable to use this type of bird bath. They will not usually fly up and settle on a hanging bird bath, so you’ll give them the opportunity to get the water they need year-round if you provide a ground bird bath.
5) Mounted bird baths
If you have limited space in the yard, you may find it awkward to accommodate a freestanding bird bath. With mounted models, you can use the bundled hardware to mount the bird bath directly on your deck’s railing.
This is not the most popular of bird baths, so you’ll find a reasonably limited choice of styles.
6) Fountain bird baths
With fountain bird baths, you get moving water as a feature, as well as shallow bathing and drinking basin.
The moving water can be achieved through a gravity-powered fountain, a spray, or a bubbler.
Perhaps the key benefit of a fountain bird bath is the way the noise and movement of the water attracts more birds to your garden.
7) Solar bird baths
If you live somewhere like California with plenty of year-round sunshine, you might want to consider a solar bird bath. These allow you to harness free energy from the sun’s rays to power your bird bath without needing to run electricity out into the garden.
Consider placement carefully so you don’t end up with the bird bath shaded by trees.
8) Heated bird baths
If you live in a colder climate and you don’t feel you would benefit from a solar bird bath, heated bird baths plug the gap nicely.
Anyone living in a region with frequently freezing temperatures will find the water in a standard bird freezes.
Bird baths with heated bowls will not make the water toasty hot, but they will certainly stop it from icing over, allowing your local birds to access the water they need all year-round, especially at a time of year when many of their natural sources of water will also be frozen over.
OK, the type of bird bath is the toughest part of your buying decision, but you also need to give some thought to what it’s made from.
II. What Are the Most Common Materials for Bird Baths?
Most of the above bird baths can be made from a variety of materials.
The most popular materials for bird baths are:
- Plastic
- Ceramic
- Concrete
- Metal (especially brass and copper)
- Marble
- Granite
- Glass
- Shell or stone mosaics
There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing the material for your bird bath.
You’ll find ceramic and glass bird baths are much more fragile than plastic or stone bird baths.
Weight may also play a part in your choice of materials, with many seniors preferring to avoid bulky and heavy concrete bird baths.
III. Conclusion
We hope today’s brief guide to the major types of bird bath has given you plenty of inspiration.
If you take the time to establish what you want from one of these decorative yet functional additions to your garden, you may even end of attracting new birds into your garden, as well as satisfying all those already flying through.
Bookmark Wild River Country before you go, and be sure to pop back soon as we update our content daily. We have a very busy content calendar over the coming months with holiday season already underway, so we’ll see you very soon!