Brutal snowstorms don’t just put us at risk, wildlife is also in danger. Birds in particular can struggle to source water during this time, with both natural sources and garden bird baths freezing over.
But, making one simple backyard upgrade to a heated bird bath can make all the difference in helping garden birds in winter. They’re exactly what they sound like, bird baths that heat up to stop the water freezing and provide birds with a life-saving resource during the harshest season.
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Bird Wish
Heated Bird Bath
With an automatic thermostat that heats the bath only when necessary, this bird bath is an essential for providing water to birds in the coldest months. It has a 5-prong base made of solid metal so it sits sturdy in the ground. The bowl itself is made from high-quality plastic with holes for birds to grasp onto when perching.
Why Use a Heated Bird Bath?
Fresh water is vital for birds in winter, for both drinking and preening
(Image credit: Getty Images/H .H. Fox Photography)
Heated bird baths offer a low-effort, efficient way to stop bird baths from freezing over in winter.
Other methods (like manually removing ice) can require more of your time, while a heated bird bath manages it for you.
It’s a critical way to provide fresh water to birds for in freezing weather for drinking and bathing, while other sources are frozen.
Plus, with water being limited elsewhere, a heated bird bath might just be the trick to attract more birds to your yard during an otherwise quiet season for wildlife in the garden.
Why Shoppers Love the Bird Wish Heated Bird Bath
Bird baths aren’t just for birds, squirrels and pollinators also rely on this source of fresh water
(Image credit: L. Toshio Kishiyama via Getty Images)
The reviews on the Bird Wish heated bird bath are flooded with images of birds visiting it in shoppers’ backyards during heavy snow, so there’s no doubt it works.
Using just 75 watts of power to heat the water, this bird bath is perfectly safe for birds to use.
‘The water is kept just above freezing, it’s not a ‘hot tub’ for them,’ one shopper agrees. ‘They are drinking and bathing all day long,’ they add.
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Of course, one of the concerns is that the heat might evaporate the water, but one reviewer shares they’ve observed the water lasting at least 24 hours before needing refilling – refreshing water regularly is an essential part of bird bath winter care anyhow.
Plus, the automatic thermostat turns off the heat when it’s no longer needed, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
As for the design of the bird bath, its five prongs insert easily into soil, offering sturdiness in adverse weather.
‘It was easy to set-up and install. It is sturdy. The color is great,’ one shopper writes.
It’s actually available in three colors: spotted green, spotted grey, and terracotta, suiting a range of garden color schemes.
And if you don’t want it to stand out so much, several shoppers have used it without the stand, just placing the bowl on table and porch surfaces.
‘It’s on my patio without the stand so my local squirrels can reach the water. It gets pretty busy out there when everything else is frozen,’ one person writes. ‘Best thing I’ve bought in a long time for my furry friends!’ they add.
It seems it’s a great purchase for a wildlife garden in general, offering clean water to squirrels, small mammals, beneficial insects, and birds alike.
Another neat feature of the Bird Wish heated bird bath’s design is its cord.
‘The cord wraps easily underneath the bowl during warmer times when it doesn’t require heating,’ one person describes, so you can continue using it as a regular bird bath in spring and summer without an unnecessary cord getting in the way.
The cord length measures 36.ft, which is something to keep in mind when choosing where to place your bird bath.
Some customers wish it was longer but state it is an adequate length. Likewise, it’s worth noting the overall height is 33.5 inches tall and can’t be adjusted.
An unfortunate downside is that a few shoppers express it being hard to clean this bird bath. Once the stand is attached ‘the bath part itself can’t be taken off,’ they share.
‘With it stuck in the ground and the ground frozen you can’t lift it up,’ one person explains. ‘It is a pain to clean,’ they add.
Nevertheless, you can keep it clean in place using products like this bird bath cleaning solution from Amazon.
The fact it’s less than $30 and works effectively makes it more than worth it to me. Especially considering bird bath heaters that you insert into a standard bird bath are a similar price (like this bird bath heater from Amazon), so it’s a no-brainer upgrade to get a bird bath that is all-in-one, automatically stopping the water from freezing for you, and it can be adjusted to use year-round.
More Essentials to Help Birds in Winter
This submersible bird bath heater stop water from freezing over in winter. It’s powered by USB and has a compact design, ideal for smaller bird baths.
This copper disk is specially designed to keep bird baths clean. It works by releasing copper ions into the water, naturally fighting algae and bacteria.
This green cage bird feeder is squirrel-proof. It has multiple perches to accommodate for a few birds at a time.
Nut & Fruit Wild Bird Seed
This nut and fruit wild bird feed mix provides plenty of nutrition and energy to birds during winter. It comes in a 5lb bag.
This elegant blue metal bird bath has a UV-protected and rust-resistant finish. It’s available in 4 other colors, too.
Suet balls provide fat and energy to birds in winter, helping to keep them warm and energized in a tricky season. This variety pack has 4 flavors.
There are a few other ways to help birds in winter, too. For example, you can incorporate the best native plants to feed birds in winter in your yard and put up one of the best bird feeders for fall and winter.
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