I was going to say "Make sure it's shallow" as so many of the birdbaths they sell aren't, but I see you're savvy to that. :) The pennies do make a bit of a difference, but it's still important to change the water offen. I have a scrub brush outside nearby the feeders so I give it a quick clean each time I change the water. I've noticed plastic seems to get algae more than ceramic but because I live in a cold winter zone, the ceramic breaks more. I have many other animals (squirrels, raccoons)drinking from the saucer on the deck, so it gets dirty more quickly. I got a second bird bath last fall, which is raised, which i hope will be used exclusively by birds. I don't think shade would make a difference, but I have read that birds feel safer with some kind of cover near the water (shrubs, tall grasses, tall flowers, etc.).

Monica

To prevent algal buildup and prevent mosquitos from breeding in the water, just flush the birdbath out every day. I do it with a garden hose. (You'll still have some algae, but so will a natural water source--the birds don't care.) A birdbath needs to be near some cover--bushes, trees, tall plants--so the birds can escape from predators. Don't overanalyze this. Shallow, rough-bottomed, nearby cover, and some way to prevent mosquitoes from breeding are all that's important.

I bought a cheap $5 plastic one and filled the base full of sand. I then put it amidst some buffaloberry bushes and try to keep it full and clean.

The birds love it so it serves the purposes of my massive $5 investment.

I find that a sprig or two of fresh lavender in the water retards the growth of algae (not as a substitute for cleaning of course!)

Simplicity is often times under rated. I have a gorgeous candy dish in the shape of a shell that has two birds resting on an edge that I converted to a birdbath. The birds use it and I think it looks attractive enough to set out on a ledge. Garage sale find for $2 or $3 and I knew instantly when I saw it what I was going to use it for.

My best birdbath I picked up last year at the end of season sale at Menards. It was an odd shaped concrete birdbath that is sort of a double basin for lack of a better way to describe it. $15 and it is by far my favorite. Heavy little bugger it was to get in my car to lay out on the back seat but for that price, I couldn't pass it up.

I have a ceramic glazed cobalt blue butt ugly birdbath outside my office at work. The color serves as a deterrent to would be thieves. So far it seems to be working as it hasn't been lifted yet as were its predecessors that were considerably more attractive.

I do have other birdbaths that have been gifted to me over the years as well as one that was handed down. The birds use them all regardless of whether they are in full sun or full shade or what material they are made from. All are shallow. All are scrubbed every few weeks as I remember to do so but all are pretty much hosed out regularly and fresh water is added. The ceramic glazed birdbath is by far the easiest to clean with a scrungie and it stays the cleanest too for some reason. The white plastic birdbath has scratched over the years and there are green algae lines in the scratches even after I clean it. The concrete bird baths scrub out easily enough with a potato brush.

I have several large plant saucers which the birds like, but their favourite by far is the free plastic trug (from a magazine)I accidentally left out before some rain which they have adopted!

Make it very shallow because adding pebbles makes cleaning more of a job. I keep a stiff brush beneath the BB hidden by plants, I re-fill it everyday and scrub it every other day. If you don't have a water feature try hanging a gallon jug with a pin hole in it...over the bird bath. The sound of dripping water will attract the birds.

Jonesy, I've been doing the gallon jug trick or 3 years now. Cheap and easy way to attract birds to your birdbaths. They love it. And a gallon will last over 24 hours, sometimes 2 days, if the pin hole starts to plug up.
Leslie

Grammahoney-
A trug is an old fashioned flat garden basket. Sort of shallow and rectangular with a hoop handle. They used to be made of flat slices of wood.
Try doing an image search.
The plastic one (I can't find a suitable picture) is about 2 inches deep in the centre and 10 ins x 14ins with a handle over the top.

Right, I just did a search, and did find some pictures of them. Thanks for the info.
Leslie

I'm sorry I got busy and neglected this thread. Thanks everyone for your comments and advice. I'm especially glad to hear your experience that birds didn't seem to mind sun versus shade.

Well, I've added two more little bird baths: a second slightly larger terra cotta plant saucer on the deck in the sun and then a 9" glazed ceramic pie/quiche pan raised in an old plant stand in the shade.

The birds are not using/liking the nice roomy pie pan! (Maybe they prefer the experience of a private bath in the little plant saucers? ha ha) I'm wondering if it is the glaze (or perhaps the color?? it is white) they don't like as I tried it solo in the sun, on the deck, and then raised. It is getting more use raised, but not much.

I appreciate all your tips---cover for the birds (definitely have that covered!) the sprig of lavender, the hanging jug (great idea!) and the perspective that for the most part the birds don't really seem to worry or care about their bath design as much as we all do!

Thanks again :-) Dawn

It could be the glaze makes it to slick for them. I use the BIG terra cotta plant saucers (12" )a lot too.
Leslie

My problem is that most commercial bird baths seem to be in two pieces, the base and the water saucer. sure enough a squirrel or racoon will knock down the saucer and it breaks.
So I have put some down on the ground but that doesn't seem too safe - I'd still like one that is higher.
mary

wow - what a great post. I was searching for details just like this. If I added a small solar pump, would it be ok for the birds if I only were able to clean the bath once a week? I'm pretty much a weekend gardener only, and I don't want to put out a bath that I may not be able to keep clean enough. I don't want to get anyone sick.

My concrete BB is so heavy nothing it going to knock it over. I have cats, opossums and an occasional raccoon visit and none have knocked the bowl over. I like it because it is sturdy, I can scrub it without it tipping. I never empty it or take it in during the winter, no damage to it either.

I don't know if the pennies work but as I've posted elsewhere, only pennies made before 1982 are 95% copper. Newer ones are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. Use a piece of copper pipe instead.

I have a resin bird bath. It looks a lot like stone and it has a pedestal base. I like this one because the bath portion unscrews from the base and it's lightweight to carry into my garage to clean it in the deep sink. I have it near a window and enjoy watching the cardinals, mourning doves, wrens and others, enjoy it. I bought it at Lowes. It was not expensive.

I swear that I am the worlds largest collector of bird baths. It's embarrassing how many I have. But hey! Some people collect lawn gnomes. Everyone here is right - any shallow dish can be a bird bath. Some of mine are serving platters, others are terra-cotta pot bottoms. I'm big on dishes of water set about the garden.

The two most important features in a bath IMO are shallow and a textured bottom. A bath with a slick, glazed surface birds won't get in. They'll drink from the sides but not get in it. Some people use pebbles or rocks to compensate for this but that's harder to clean.

My latest must-haves are small cast stone baths. You can see some here Small Cast Stone Cement Bird Baths. I have about four of them now, set beside shrubs about my garden and am crazy about them. Taller styles are here: Tall Cast Stone Cement Bird Baths but it's the little guys I love.

I have had no problems with anything knocking them down. Their biggest drawback is you can't use them in winter, but the reinforced cement makes them stronger than regular cement. The bottoms are rough, birds love them, and you just scrub them out with a brush and some plain dish soap, use the hose. People ask me about them all the time and where I got them, that sort of thing. They come in lots of color choices which is nice!

There are lots of different factors to consider when looking for the best bird bath.

The best bird bath is the one that's going to be a good fit for your yard and your lifestyle. It will be one that you take pride in and enjoy maintaining and cleaning and one that will allow you to provide the best, safest environment for birds.

For materials, I always recommend that you choose a bird bath with a texture that allows birds feet to easily grip the rim and if you live in a colder climate, you should select a material to which birds' feet won't freeze in the winter. Concrete or cement are always good choices, because of their texture and durability, although they are somewhat harder to clean. If you live in a colder climate, a bird bath heater can be added to prevent the water from freezing when it gets cold.

With regular maintenance (draining and replacing the water) you should not have any major problems with algae. Draining and completely replacing the water should ideally be done every few days. If you let it go longer, and do wind up having algae in your bird bath, there are effective methods for scrubbing and cleaning it out and many safe products on the market to help you do so.

You can find more information here on how to select the best bird bath and bird bath supplies.

Good Luck!

I made a mistake and bought a beautiful glass birdbath. Needless to say - no birds! Maybe I can display it somewhere but it's useless for birds. Too slick.

@butterbloom - Not all is lost! Try putting some non-toxic adhesive stickers on the bottom of the bird bath, like the kind you'd put in the bath tub. You can also fill the glass bird bath with stones in the middle, so the birds have a secure place with a rougher texture to perch and land.