The One Thing Your Birdbath Is Missing That Birds Love

If you recently bought a gorgeous stone or ceramic birdbath from your local garden center, it can be frustrating to watch birds zip right past it. You're keeping the water fresh and the basin clean, so why aren't your feathered friends ever coming around and enjoying it? While there are many reasons why birds want nothing to do with your birdbath, it might not actually be the water; it's what is sitting right next to it (or isn't, in this case): a perch.

Birds like a place where they can sit, preen, or rest while feeling safe. Ideally, this would be a perch located a few feet away from your birdbath. In the wild, birds are at their most vulnerable when bathing. Water adds weight, and they're more focused on bathing than on whether a neighborhood cat or a hawk suddenly appears. This is why they love having a perch.

By adding a sturdy perch in your yard, a short distance from the birdbath, you give your local songbirds a safe hangout. They will use it to scan the area and decide whether they feel safe enough to bathe. And once they finish splashing, that same perch becomes the place they return to in order to safely shake off extra water and preen their feathers back into place. Without a nearby landing spot to do this, a bird has to struggle toward a distant tree. That makes them more exposed and exhausted. By adding a perch near your birdbath, you help make it a secure birdbath that birds will want to visit more often.

Wondering how to create the perfect perch without cluttering up your pretty garden? Fallen branches are the best (and easiest) way to go, as they cost you nothing and are loved by birds. Overall, a good rule of thumb is to offer something they can comfortably grip. They like having texture, plus it helps them clean their beaks and trim their talons. You should gather a variety of branch sizes for different-sized birds. From there, design and placement are up to you. You could opt to hang a perch from a patio overhang, stick a wooden trellis into the ground, set up a cluster of rocks, suction mount perches to a window if your birdbath is closer to your home, or even DIY a post with multiple sticks bolted to it then either cement it into the ground or give it feet if you want it mobile.

Regardless of what kind you get, the perch should have a clear line of sight to the birdbath. Using a perch with multiple height options could help you attract a wider variety of species; some birds prefer a higher vantage point, while others prefer a lower one. 

Above all, though, make sure the perch isn't set up too close to where a predator could easily hide and wait to ambush them. A well-placed, stylish perch makes it easy to attract birds to your birdbath, and helps your beautiful garden stay an enjoyable sanctuary for birds. With this small addition, you'll spend less time wondering where the birds are and more time enjoying the view from your window.