Not Your Average Birdbath: This Amazon Find Also Serves As Patio Decor

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Whether it's a massive backyard or a tiny balcony in your city apartment, having an outdoor space helps you stay in touch with nature. But if you want a little more of that nature to come visit, adding some inviting touches to your outdoor space is a must. There are plenty of foolproof ways to attract birds to your yard, including adding a birdbath and protective shelter. And Amazon is selling a product that might make your water source even more exciting: the SAC SMARTEN ARTS Solar Fountain. This fountain keeps the water in your birdbath moving, which helps attract birds and discourages mosquitoes from laying eggs there.

You can find a variety of solar-powered birdbath fountains out there, but most of them are plain black devices with little visual appeal. This version is a bit larger because the resin base is designed to look like rocky granite. And that's what makes it double as a patio decoration. It sits above your birdbath and offers a natural stone look, which you can play up by adding plants and other natural elements around the water source. Be warned, though, that the fountain's aesthetic may not be for everyone: "It does look a little cheesy," one reviewer says, "because the rock looks more like badly painted coral over anything else, but it's better than just plain plastic."

The pump itself is a high-efficiency model that can spray water over 21 inches high. Even with all that power, however, reviews on Amazon say the pump isn't too noisy. Instead, this fountain adds a calming running water sound that can make your patio more relaxing on top of the visual appeal it adds. As one customer says, "The birds just love this thing and it's keeping my birdbath water cooler and fresher longer."

Because it runs on solar power, this fountain can go virtually anywhere in your yard — as long as the area receives direct sunlight. It should start spraying relatively quickly once the solar panels are positioned in the sunlight. The drawback is that, according to some reviews, it won't run as well on cloudy days or at night; it may also struggle on a shady patio. At under 8 inches wide and about 2 inches tall, the fountain should fit into smaller birdbaths, making it suitable for most uses. If all you have is a deck or balcony, you can find birdbaths that attach to your deck, which should work nicely with the fountain.

Another unique feature of the fountain is that it offers five different nozzles, each of which creates a different spray pattern, ranging from a narrow, focused, upright spray to gradually widening sprays. However, since you have to change out the nozzles each time (and keep track of the extra ones), this feature could be more hassle than it's worth. 

To optimize the fountain's effect, it's worth remembering that birds will flock to your birdbath when you plant flowers they love nearby. So, consider planting purple coneflowers, milkweed, trumpet honeysuckle, and other bird-friendly plants around it. This vegetation will also give birds a sense of security, which will make them more likely to splash around for a while.