Goodbye Traditional Birdbaths — Keep Visitors Warm With A Deck-Mounted Amazon Find

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Loving birds means helping them out. But when the cold months of winter roll around, we tend to put our birdbaths into storage and swap them for fat balls and other nutrient-rich snacks. And that's exactly what you should do if you're using a traditional birdbath, but there are some alternatives that can keep birds hydrated even when temperatures drop below freezing. These can help attract a more diverse variety of birds to your yard while keeping them happy and healthy.

For example, the Allied Precision Industries four seasons heated birdbath from Amazon will keep water from freezing all winter long so that birds can still drink from it. This is a shallow bowl that can be attached to a deck rail or a pole. It has a small heated element inside, and works on its own without a thermostat. It's small and made of weather resistant plastic, so you don't have to worry about it getting damaged after one season. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing — it's a basic design made of beige plastic — but remember that birdbath designs made of stone, concrete, and ceramic can be damaged by freezing temperatures. So during winter, overlook the aesthetics and go for something durable.

Because yes, even if traditional birdbaths can't withstand winter, it doesn't mean that birds aren't thirsty. Just like you, birds need water all year long, and in winter, it can become hard for them to find it unfrozen in nature. Birds are already burning tons of energy to stay alive during winter, and melting snow with their body heat requires them to do so even more. So helping them by giving them ice-free water is a great way to keep them alive and well.

When you hear heated birdbath, don't picture a little jacuzzi bubbling with steam and hot water. The API heated birdbath (and other similar models) will not heat the water enough to make it hot, or even warm. It just keeps the water right above freezing, which ensures ice-free water no matter the temperatures. Birds can then use this water for drinking and bathing as needed. In winter, birds spend tons of time cleaning and arranging their feathers to make sure they're waterproof and well insulated, which helps keep them warm. In that way, a heated birdbath will help them not only stay hydrated, but also warm until spring. 

When setting up this heated birdbath, there are a few considerations. One, it needs to be near an outlet. The power cord tucks underneath the basin so you can hide it during warmer months, but it does need to to be plugged in during the winter. Also, some of the people who've purchased this birdbath had issues with the deck mount, saying it was slanted and unstable once attached. It's best to attach it as soon as you receive it to make sure it fits, so that you can send it back if there are stability issues. 

And don't forget to clean your birdbath often. While a birdbath needs more upkeep in summer, when algae, mosquitoes, and bacteria run wild, you still have to keep it fresh in winter. With a heated birdbath like this one, do a weekly clean by dumping out the water and brushing any scum buildup away. And of course, make sure to refresh the water every day or so.