I thought the 'bird bath heater' thing was a total scam until this winter

For years, I figured birds could just find water somewhere else if my little concrete bath froze over. Then a neighbor in my building, who's been birding for ages, gave me her old $40 electric heater that sits in the water. I tried it for a week in January, and my yard went from zero birds to a constant crowd of juncos and sparrows. It turns out liquid water is a huge deal for them when everything is ice. Now I'm a believer, but I still see folks online saying heaters stress birds out or are a waste of money. What's the real deal, have you tried one?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_fisher992mo ago

Did your neighbor tell you how many birds she sees with it? Mine has been a lifesaver this year.

lisa_grant1mo ago

Have you tried putting a small dish of water near your feeder? That really made the difference for me. I get a ton of cardinals and chickadees now, and even a few goldfinches. One blue jay comes by every morning too, it's so fun to watch. I keep a little pad by the window like your neighbor does, it's a good way to track them!

michael_fisher552mo ago

My neighbor said she counted over twenty different types just last week (cardinals, blue jays, even a woodpecker). She keeps a little notebook by the window now. I read that having a water source nearby really boosts the numbers. It makes the yard feel so much more alive.