Do you provide a winter water source for your birds? In winter, when streams, ponds, rivers and even rain puddles freeze, it can be very hard for birds to find the water they need to drink and keep their feathers clean.

Most songbirds need to drink water every day as they lose water daily through droppings, and they would quickly become dehydrated without replenishment. Our backyard songbirds also need water to bathe. In winter keeping feathers clean is vital to a bird’s ability to stay warm.

You have probably noticed how puffed up the birds get when the temperature drops. That’s because they are fluffing up their feathers to help insulate against the cold by adding layers of air around their bodies. To maintain these layers, a bird’s feathers must be clean and healthy. Just a fraction of an inch of this insulation can help birds maintain their body temperature at 100 degrees or more even in frigid temperatures. A cardinal’s normal body temperature is about 106 degrees and a chickadee’s is around 108 degrees.

Adding a heated birdbath to your backyard feeding station can really help birds survive the cold winter months. Or, if you already have an unheated birdbath and would like to keep it ice-free all winter, a birdbath heater will do the trick. (Both heated birdbaths and birdbath heaters require an outdoor extension cord and electrical outlet.)

Here at the store we sell a 20-inch heated birdbath and a 14-inch heated birdbath that you can either mount to a deck or place in one of our birdbath stands. I personally have used this birdbath for over 15 years – the birds love it and it is a real quality product! We also carry a durable birdbath heater in the store.

Both our heated birdbaths and birdbath heater have been fully tested to work in subzero temperatures. They are sure to provide the open water source your birds need all winter long!