I've had a heated bird bath for years.
The birds love it and I've never seen any adverse effects from it.

I don't have a heated bird bath, but I do have a lot of birds coming to visit the heated water trough for the horses :)

I think the heated bird bath is a great idea. I think the birds will really appreciate it, when everything is frozen this winter and they can still get a drink!

I got one of those heated birdbaths, and the birds do love them. We see birds (like bluebirds) at the birdbath that do not come to birdfeeders.

Lois in PA

Keeping fresh water available to birds is very important and the squirrels appreciate it too! No worries about them sticking or freezing when wet - they're built for it. I read somewhere that lacking blood vessels in their feet, they don't stick to cold metal and their feathers are amazingly insulating.

I use a Nelson Blue Devil (type those words into google for full info). It works in a shallow basin and while pricey, it's reliable - seven years now for mine, and no thirsty birds and no cracked birdbaths from icing up.

Thank you for the information. I believe I will add a heated bird bath to my Christmas list! :-)

I don't have an outlet near my bird baths, so I cover the ones in the back yard with a plastic bag (large contractor size) which keeps the water out of the concrete and avoids those cracks due to freezing. Then, I can still keep water in the basin through the winter. When it freezes, I add a little hot water. Far from perfect, but keeps water available most of the time.

Great idea, cyn427 - before I got the heater (and after I cracked a ceramic basin w/hot water) I used to empty and invert the concrete basin overnight (it's a base and basin twofer), then flip it over and refill it in the morning. Problem was, I don't get up as early as the birds, thus the heater solution. Whatever works!

You know, I had actually wondered about just filling it with warm water a few times a day. You are a zone warmer than I am. We have our spells here in Pittsburgh that get quite cold (usually January) but, for instance, it's been in the high 50s here for most of November. (I always think maybe it just won't get cold this winter. haha. I say that every year. Wishful thinking I guess. Better order heater.) :-/

Scully, yep - we are a bit warmer here, but it's the overnight hard freezes that crack birdbath basins. On cold winter days, if I notice an ice skim forming, I'll add warm water too, but if I'm gone for the day the risk of freezeover escalates. The heater works 24/7. We've had a warm fall too, but if the Old Farmers Almanac is right, once it gets here, we're in for it this winter.

Btw - Everytime I open this thread I get a mental picture of Woodstock ice skating on the birdbath - brings a smile to my face ....... thanks!

Another little aside is that in the heat of summer, I take a pitcher full of ice cubes out to the birdbath - the flapping about definitely increases when I cool it down! :o)

Love my birds!

Zigzag, maybe I should let it freeze over once in awhile so they can have an ice skating party. ;-)

Love the ice cube idea for summer and picturing Woodstock skating!

I, too, hear that we are in for a rough winter and if acorns are any indication, we have had many more than usual this year. As long as the cold comes with snow days and closed school, I will be happy. ;)

Like you, one of our neighbors in our court feeds the birds and has a heated birdbath, plus every single day, they vacumn up the bird seed with their shop vacumn. Living in a Sr. Citizen's community, we are not allowed to have bird feeders for fear of attracting rodents but she ignores all the rules when it comes to Mother nature..She has been told many times over but that is her therapy. The crows are pest; very large size and noisy to say the least.

I have an inexpensive heater that I put in my birdbath. I just anchor it under a rock and even though the water is shallow it works great. Birds that don't come to feed will come to water. No worries about them freezing after getting wet. My heater is at least 10 years old and still works great.