Attract More Hummingbirds To Your Yard With This Type Of Birdbath

Observing hummingbirds as they zip around your yard and garden is a real treat, so of course plenty of gardeners want to know how to start a hummingbird garden to attract them. You can fill your garden with flowers or affordable DIY mason jar hummingbird feeders, but don't forget to give them a water source. Water is important for helping them cool down and clean their feathers, but these feathered friends are so small that they can have trouble using regular birdbaths. The best birdbaths for these colorful birds are ones that aren't too deep and have some source of movement or spray.

Hummingbirds can't use a birdbath that is too deep or has steep sides, so instead look for birdbaths with shallower basins. Keep in mind that you're looking for a bath that's shallow by hummingbird standards, as their legs are incredibly short! While a shallower birdbath is safer for them, it isn't super attractive on its own. To appeal to hummingbirds, add a mister or dripper to the birdbath. Hummingbirds use water to wash their feathers, but since they can't exactly swim in a deep birdbath, they have to find alternative ways to get their feathers wet. Misters send water up into the air, while drippers act like a mini shower for your birdbath. You don't need both, but adding one of them to your birdbath allows hummingbirds to choose between standing in the water to cool off, flying through the spray, or standing under the dripper to wash their feathers.

If you already have a birdbath and don't want to buy another one, don't worry. You can easily make an existing birdbath more appealing to hummingbirds with a few simple customizations. In addition to planting hummingbird-attracting flowers like bottlebrush nearby, consider adding a mister or dripper to your birdbath. There are many different types of misters and drippers that fit different aesthetics and price points, but the only thing you really need to worry about is the intensity of the spray. You don't want a jet of water that's going to knock the hummingbirds out of the air! In this case, a gentle stream or fine mist is ideal. You can also add a bubbler to your birdbath, as the slow movements and sounds mimic the shallow creeks these birds naturally visit.

If your birdbath is too deep, there is a way to make it safer for hummingbirds without completely swapping the basin. All you need to do is add pebbles or rocks for your visitors to perch on. If you don't want to use pebbles, you can also use other water-safe objects. They just need to be large enough for the tops to rise just below or right along the surface of the water. Additionally, make sure your perches of choice are stable and won't shift or wiggle around too much as hummingbirds land and take off. If you install a dripper, make sure there's a spot for your feathered friends to stand underneath it, so arrange your perches accordingly!