A family of new Holland honeyeaters splashed and played in a birdbath in a neighbour’s garden and as I watched them I realised that these ornamental splash pools represented more than a mere supply of water.
Bird baths are sites were birds socialise and build family bonds. They are also places were intense inter-species rivalries play out.
Bird baths might be a familiar site in gardens and parks but little is known about the precise role they play in birds’ lives.
In a dry country like Australia, they are particularly important. They can offer support to stressed bird populations at the height of summer, and especially during drought.
Studies on bird baths and their impact on bird populations are still ongoing but it is clear that this is one area where nature lovers can really make a positive contribution to the well-being of our birds.
At the same time choosing and installing bird baths is vitally important.
Design is crucial, to avoid accidents in which birds are drowned, Bird baths need to be gently sloping so that visiting birds can find the depth of water that suits them. Some of the more common bird baths are actually too shallow for big birds like cockatoos so, if possible, it is preferable to have more than one bath. Stones or rocks in the centre of the deeper baths can give smaller birds a place to perch while bathing.
It is also important to choose a design that is raised from the ground, as in a common pedestal model. This will keep the birds safe from attack by cats. Also important is not to place the bird in an open area, which makes drinking and bathing birds vulnerable to attack from birds of prey, particularly the brown goshawk which largely hunts birds by ambush. Placing the bath near a dense bush is ideal, so that birds can retreat into cover if danger threatens.
Birds need to groom their feathers daily, so it must not be assumed they are only visiting bird baths on hot summer days. Birds need baths in winter, too, even if in the Tasmanian winter the ice on birdbaths might have to be broken!
It can take time for birds to find a new water source but they will find it given time, and remember its location and return to it.
A common problem with bird baths it that they can be dominated by some of the bigger species. These backyard bullies can include some of the larger honeyeaters in Tasmania like the wattlebirds and the noisy miners. This type of behaviour is usually directed toward smaller, less aggressive birds so having a range of bath types – such as a hanging bath or multiple elevated baths – in your garden will give all birds a place to drink and bathe.
A well-placed birdbath cannot only benefit our feathered friends. It can give endless pleasure to the onlooker as they view the passing parade of beautiful birds making a splash of colour.