Placing one item inside your birdbath can increase the number of birds visiting your garden
Angela Patrone Senior Lifestyle Reporter and Talya Honebeek Content Editor – Spare Time
15:48, 11 May 2026
A dirty bird bath can quickly become unappealing to both gardeners and wildlife(Image: helen Reid via Getty Images)
Watching birds splashing about in a gleaming bird bath is undoubtedly one of the best things about gardening. But if you’ve noticed that the activity around your bird bath has dwindled of late, the reason could be right under your nose.
Giving a bird bath a thorough clean rarely tops the priority list for most gardeners, especially during the hectic growing season when countless other jobs demand attention. Yet a grimy bird bath can quickly lose its appeal for both gardeners and wildlife alike, often turning murky, smelly, or even slimy during warmer spells.
It turns out that one straightforward item placed in your bird bath can help curb the accumulation of algae and dirt, keeping the water fresher for visiting birds. The specialists at Gardening Know How revealed that dropping in copper pennies is “one of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep your bird bath clean so you can attract more birds to your garden”.
They explained: “To put the science simply, the presence of a copper penny disrupts conditions that would make algae more likely to develop and thrive.
Anyone with a birdbath in their garden urged to place 1 simple object in it before summer(Image: Getty)
“The copper ions in pennies leach into the water and create a chemical barrier that prevents algae from building up. Algae relies on photosynthesis to thrive, and copper renders algal membranes weaker – to the point where they collapse and fail.”
For those wondering how to clean a cement bird bath or a metal-based equivalent, this nifty penny trick could make “a big difference to a wider cleaning routine”. You don’t need to throw a handful of pennies into your bird bath to see results. Just one or two coins can boost the water’s capacity to keep algae growth at bay, reports the Express.
Bird enthusiast and owner of The Rocky Safari, Rocky Trifari, agrees with this method. He said, “Copper is a natural biocide with properties that interfere with the biological processes algae and other microorganisms rely on.
“When copper ions leach into the water, they promote an environment that discourages the growth of green algae, one of the main causes of that slimy, dirty water found in birdbaths.”
Before dropping any pennies into your bird bath, ensure you scrub them thoroughly using natural cleaning methods and check them carefully for any traces of rust or corrosion.
A dirty bird bath can quickly become unappealing to both gardeners and wildlife(Image: Getty)
Birds love drinking and bathing in bird baths, but prolonged or excessive contact with dissolved copper could pose a health risk, particularly for smaller species.
For this reason, it’s recommended to use only a small number of coins, and it’s vital to clean the bath when using this method. Additionally, providing your birds with fresh water each day is equally important.
Even with this approach, regular maintenance remains essential. Especially during warmer spells, standing water can quickly become uninviting to wildlife and may encourage the development of algae or bacteria.
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