Heated Bird Baths
Using bird baths in your yard or outdoor area will provide birds with fresh drinking water as well as a place to bathe. The bird bath needs to be kept clean not only for the health of the birds which is crucial but it will also attract more birds. Using a heated bird bath in the winter months is critical for many species of birds that winter over in your local area. When their water supply is frozen it may be the only water they have access to and just because it's winter they still need to bathe and preen their feathers to keep them in top condition and use them as a protection against the elements.
BestNest.com is a family owned business based in Cincinnati that started in 1999 and has grown rapidly ever since. The company developed out of a love for birds, wildlife and nature. They feel that the best way to help protect many species of birds is to provide them with feeders, waterers, and nesting sites. Their inventory provides a wide selection of products at affordable prices.
In the area of heated bird baths they carry ground, porch mounted and pedestal models in a large selection of designs. The popular Allied Precision Four Season Heated Bird Bath is 14 inches and gradually slopes to 2 inches depth. It has a textured surface and contoured rim which allows birds to easily land and perch on it. It will keep the water ice free in winter with a 70 watts heater which is hidden beneath the bowl surface and the bowl will hold up without cracking. In summer the power cord is clipped to the bottom of the bowl. It can easily be mounted to a deck railing or used with the included 3 foot pole stand.
The Allied Precision Heated Bird Bath with Metal Stand has a 20 inch bowl with a textured surface and contoured rim for safe landing and perching and a gradual slope to allow smaller birds to bathe at the edge, while larger birds can venture towards the middle. It maintains the temperature between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit and will not crack in sub-zero weather. It can be mounted on the 3 foot metal stand or mounted to to the deck railings.
If you're looking for the classic pedestal style, the Allied Precision Kozybird Spa Heated Bird Bath & Pedestal may be the one for you. It offers a beautiful addition to any outdoor area with its classic shape and color. The gradual slope and perching island in the center allows a wide variety of birds to enjoy the bath. The heating element is hidden beneath the surface and has a handy plug for attaching the extension cord inside the pedestal. It will keep the water ice free down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit and the durable plastic polymer will not crack. There is also an easy twist and tip system for easy cleaning of the bowl.
You will notice that the smaller birds that winter over such as the chickadees and sparrows will be attracted to the outer edges of the basin where the water is the shallowest. Here they can quickly dip their breast feathers into the water, dispurse it over their bodies with their wings and fly off. Who wants to take a bath when it's twenty below anyway, but they will. They are flying off to preen their feathers in safety in a nearby tree.
The larger birds like the blue jays and mourning doves, who seem to be a regular in both winter and summer will gravitate towards the middle of the bowl where the water is deepest. Here they can get a good dunking for their feathers. The mourning doves will fly off to preen, but the blue jays with loud calls will sometimes straighten their feathers right there on the bath basin or railing.
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