How to stop your Bird Bath from freezing this Winter: And we pick our favorite inexpensive bird bath de-icer/bird bath heater
It's that time of year again folks, and the temperatures just dropped by a pretty large margin from the low 80's to the 40's overnight. It won't be long before we are seeing 20's and even teens for a couple of months here in the Southeast. So you might wonder what the birds drink when they eat so often. Unless you are putting a bird bath out with some sort of heater in it to keep the water from freezing, the birds have a pretty limited selection of water sources to choose from.
Our BEST choice for an inexpensive but very effective bird bath heater:
We'd like to share a fairly inexpensive but effective bird bath heater that we have tried We purchased and used it last Winter (2022-2023 season) which was pretty darn cold for a week or so here in Marietta, Georgia. We had lows near 5 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 10-15 degrees colder than we have seen in the past 10 years. We purchased this one on Amazon and had it delivered a couple of days before the cold front hit us (luckily). Please note: It will require an extension cord to reach the location of your choosing.
What we like about this bird bath heater:
It blends a bit with surroundings (and is available in a few plain-color options as well).
It shuts off at a certain temperature which is helpful when the weather is just below freezing in the morning but warms up later in the day - you wouldn't want to keep heating the water and wasting energy, or boiling it!
It's small enough to fit in a variety of bird baths! Just drop it in and keep it covered with water to be sure it functions properly.
It cleans easily. If it becomes dirty it can be quickly wiped down or washed and scrubbed and the color doesn't leech into the bird bath.
It's effective! The birds will come from all over to find a safe, warm watering hole and bath and drink. You will need to add water more often because of the amount the bird bath gets used!
Are you worried because you don't like extension cords? Are you looking at Solar-powered bird bath heaters?
Keep in mind that heaters require a pretty decent amount of energy to function. Solar could possibly supply enough power, but would require larger panels, batteries to provide a charge when the sun is down, (and batteries do not function well in the cold) and they certainly don't appeal to many with their aesthetics. We recommend sticking with a plug-in model which has a thermostatic controller like the one above.
Here are some American Robins and some Brown-headed Nuthatches enjoying our bird bath with this heater installed:
Next, let's look over the natural environment and what options the birds have to choose from if you were to go the other route and simply pass on the idea of providing a warm water bowl or bath for our feathered friends.
Streams / Rivers - both of these options for birds are likely to be used as water sources for drinking and bathing. However, the water here can be nearly just as cold as the ice that forms nearby when the water does not flow. While natural (as natural as any streams and rivers are these days) they may not be the cleanest water source and could have long term negative affects on the health of the birds.
Ponds / Lakes - very common places for geese and ducks to gather and eat/drink but you might be surprised how many songbirds will also fly to low overhanging branches and sip water from the surface of a pond or lake. The downside to this is also one that can be said for streams and rivers as well: predators. Various species of Bass live in lakes, ponds, and rivers that would not hesitate to make a meal out of a small or medium songbird. The more rural you are, the chances of other predators also increases and coyotes, fox, bobcats will all be on the prowl for a quick meal.