Here’s an easy way to help birds and this one really will only cost you a penny
Householders are being urged to help protect blackbirds(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Anyone with a garden loves to see – and hear – the range of birds that help bring life to it and there are plenty ways to encourage them that don’t cost much. The latest suggestion really does just cost a penny.
Our feathered friends love birdbaths and during the recent heatwaves these have proved a vital resource for many. We’ve already shared tips on how to help gardens cope in hot dry weather – and although we’ve now had some rain, many lawns have not yet returned to a healthy green – while the hot spell has also taken its toll on wildlife so providing clean water has been essential.
As previously reported there are easy ways to set up a birdbath if you haven’t one already and these can prove a life saver for our feathered friends in hot weather. Birds don’t have sweat glands, which makes it more difficult for them to cool down and in extreme cases heat stress can cause illness, disorientation and even death.
Even if more rain is on the way birdbaths give birds a chance not just to drink but to also properly wash themselves and the latest tip is about keeping the environment clean enough for them – and looking good too. By July birdbaths can be looking grubby put simply putting a penny in the water could make all the difference, reports The Express.
Bird enthusiast Rocky Trifari, owner of The Rocky Safari blog, has shared the tip of how a 1p coin in the birdbath can keep it clean, explaining it’s the copper in the coin that does the trick. “Copper is a natural biocide with properties that interfere with the biological processes algae and other microorganisms rely on,” he said.
“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.” It is recommended, however, that the pennies are given a good clean before they are placed into the birdbath.
It is also important to use natural methods to avoid harming birds. Monika Sangar, an avian nutrition specialist, also said: “Birds drink and bathe in bird bath water so prolonged or excessive exposure to dissolved copper could pose a health risk, especially to small species.
“For this reason, it’s best to only use a few coins at maximum in a larger bath and to always clean the bath in addition to using this hack. Adding fresh water daily for your birds is a must too.”
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