A gardening expert is urging households to move their bird baths this week as the scorching 37C heatwave begins.
But while it’s tempting just to focus on the impact on ourselves, wildlife experts are urging households to spare a thought for the impact on everything in your garden too.
In particular, birds, already battling with reduced availability of food thanks to the decline of insect populations, find the hot weather increasingly difficult to manage under their thick feathers designed more for keeping warm in winter than cool in summer.
That’s one reason bird baths are a popular addition to a garden, as they provide much needed relief for birds struggling to find fresh drinking water – but they won’t be as much help if they’re in the wrong place.
Maria Kincaid, in-house ornithologist for smart bird feeder FeatherSnap, is urging gardeners to move their bird baths to different spots in the garden during the heatwave, focusing specifically on providing shade.
She said: “Birds lack the sweat glands that humans have to help keep them cool, so they have to alter their behaviour in order to keep cool. When the sun is at its warmest, you’re most likely to find birds in the cool shade of the trees, as the shade can make the temperature feel between five and ten degrees cooler.
“By placing things like bird baths and feeders in shady areas, you’re giving them a cool refuge for food, and it helps to prevent food spoilage. However, please be very wary of moving bird houses into the shade unless you’re a hundred percent positive that they are empty.”
She added: “One of the ways that many birds will keep cool, besides angling their feathers to catch a breeze and panting to help release heat, is to take a quick dip, much like we would. Provide a bird bath, and more than one if you’re able. Bird baths filled with cool, clean water not only provide a haven to cool feathers, but also a reliable source of drinking water to help replace what’s lost through respiration.
“Besides making sure to regularly clean and maintain your feeders and bird baths, other ways to help birds during the warm season are more long-term efforts. Plant native, bird friendly plants like sunflowers, honeysuckle, and holly to name a few. These plants offer shade, provide insects for food during the spring and summer, and provide seeds and fruit in the late summer and autumn.
“It’s also important to limit or, better yet, completely avoid the use of pesticides in your garden. Insects are an important part of the ecosystem, and a vital food source for many species of birds, especially during the breeding season and while they’re feeding young.”
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