Keep Your Bird Bath From Freezing With One Simple Addition

If you live in an area where winter temperatures regularly reach below freezing, then you're likely no stranger to frozen bird baths. Depending on the material your bird bath is made from, it may be best to empty, clean, and store it for the winter. This is especially for concrete and glass or ceramic bird baths, which can crack during the freeze and thaw cycle that comes with icy water. However, if you're looking to keep your bird bath thawed in the face of a temporary cold spell, there are a few options that can help.

Although your local feathered friends may not be keen on taking a dip during the winter months, bird baths can still be essential for their survival. This is because, when all other water freezes, your bird bath can offer a reliable place for them to visit and get hydrated. However, in order to offer a reliable water source, you need to ensure that your bird bath doesn't freeze over like other natural areas birds may drink from. This means avoiding common bird bath winter maintenance mistakes, like forgetting to move your bird bath to a sunnier spot. It can also include choosing the right supplies to keep your water fresh and not frozen. Thankfully, keeping your bird bath open for service this winter can be as simple as adding dark stones to the water to retain solar heat.

Adding dark stones can be a clever way to keep your bird bath from freezing this winter, but what's the science behind it? This neat hack works by introducing more heat to your bird bath. Dark objects absorb more light than lighter objects, which tend to do more reflecting. When you're talking about sunlight especially, this increase in absorbed light adds more heat. While it may not be enough to keep your bird bath unfrozen in extreme weather, it can help in milder conditions, especially when paired with tactics such as placing your bird bath in a spot with ample sunlight.

To try out this hack, all you need to do is use bird-safe black rocks or pebbles and scatter them along the inside of your bird bath. If you don't have any stones on hand, you can also use other items you may already have, such as a dark colored plate. When the sunlight hits these dark objects, they'll absorb more light than they reflect, which causes them to become warm. Thus, it can help raise the temperature of your bird bath's water.

There are other benefits that can come with adding rocks to your bird bath. For example, stones can give birds a place to stand in the bath. This saves them from needing to perch only on the edges, making drinking more accessible. Having a feature like this can be even more important in freezing weather, as you want to offer your backyard birds water without worrying about their feathers or feet getting wet.