Who doesn’t love the chirping sound of birds? It is the best way to create a stress-relieving atmosphere and induce a sense of comfort. However, birds are indeed flittery and it is quite tricky to attract them. Most people try luring these feathered beauties by installing bird feeders and bird baths. However, did you know that you can make these bird baths more sustainable and alluring by using a solar bird bath fountain? Yes, that’s right!
We have been using traditional bird baths for a long time now. So get ready because now is the time to move towards a more eco-friendly option that comes in the form of solar bird bath fountains. In this article, let’s first learn about bird bath fountains and then discover all we need to know about solar bird bath fountains!
What is a Bird Bath Fountain?
A bird bath fountain is a fountain tower with a pump that is generally battery-operated. It provides more than just a simple water tray or basin containing water. The pump is the main part of the fountain. It is used to allow the water to flow smoothly.
The pump can be operated by a solar, electric, or battery system. Simple bird bath fountains can get expensive if we operate them on home electricity. Instead, we can use a better and cheaper option which is a solar-powered bird bath fountain.
What is a Solar Bird Bath Fountain?
It’s nothing more than the perfect upgrade you needed! A solar bird bath fountain is operated automatically by nature, meaning that they do not need additional resources such as electricity or battery systems. These are powered by the sun, which is ecological and helps protect our environment.
The idea of using solar-powered systems is to make the functioning of products smooth and hassle-free. What’s more? Solar bird baths require little to no maintenance at all and it ultimately leads to low cost and saving time! Isn’t that the best addition to your bird baths.
How Do They Work?
The working of a solar bird bath fountain is pretty similar to that of any other solar infused device. These bird baths use solar panels that only need to be placed once within the fountain’s basin or outside it. When the sun is up, the solar panel accumulates all the energy inside it and makes it available for further usage. After enough power is collected, it transfers it to the motor that pumps the flow continuously.
Well, not every day will be a sunny day! There are seasons when solar baths don’t work, such as the rainy season or in winters, where the cold weather could destroy the fountains. In some cases, such as dark days or storms, the solar baths may not even get sufficient power from the sun to function properly. Yet, no reason to worry! We can use bird bath heaters that we can buy along with a solar bird bath fountain.
It is recommended to research before buying one and taking into consideration all factors that we need to take care of. Let’s now look at some types of solar bird baths which are popular.
Types of Solar Bird Baths
Solar bird baths can generally be categorized into two categories:
Built-in Unit
In the case of built-in solar bird baths, the solar panels come with the bird bath fountains themselves, as we have seen earlier. Here all we need to do is place the fountain in the sun, and it will start itself automatically.
Independent Unit
In this case, the solar panel doesn’t come with the bird bath fountain. We have to install it on the fountain explicitly. To install it, we can place it outside the fountain or inside the bird baths. These units can be purchased separately and are available widely in the market.
However, you have to do the installation and placement of the solar panels individually all by yourself. If you’re a person who loves to build things for yourself, then it must be a piece of cake for you, but if you’re not, feel free to seek help from online sources.
Certain types of solar-powered bird baths are popular in the market. Let’s find out what’s the unique factor in these popular ones!
Standing Solar Bird Bath
This is one of the most popular types of solar-powered baths. It is reliable, efficient, and has the best value-for-money features. One such feature is the quality of its solar panels and their durability.
These panels offer premium protection from the dusty environment and come with extended warranty periods. These are some of the most trusted because they are manufactured by major electronic giants such as Panasonic and LG.
The high-quality solar panels deliver excellent performance of the pump and help the water to flow smoothly and consistently. You better grab these soon because these modern bird baths are the show stealers on platforms like Walmart or Amazon!
Solar Floating Pump for Fountains
These are low-cost fountains with a 3.5W solar panel. Nowadays they are experimenting with LED lights that look magnificent at night. These come in different shapes and sizes suitable to the fountain’s outer structure and design.
A floating solar pump may have up to 6 nozzles and can create great rippling effects in the water! Similarly, one with less than six nozzles may create small sprays or bubbles in the water for the added effect. It also comes with a 1500 mAh battery. There are various such cheap bird baths available on different online platforms.
Solar Water Fountain Pump Kit
These types of solar water pumps can produce tremendous power as they are attached to large solar panels with up to 30W of solar power. The kit comes with different nozzles, big length cords and can become expensive if it contains large panels. Some kits can have height-adjustable pumps which are powered by submersible pumps as well.
These are suitable for do-it-yourself work, so we can even create custom solar bird bath fountains from small kits to large kits. We can place the solar panels either in the gardens or anywhere with a good amount of sunshine.
You have to remember that the solar panels should be placed on a table or a solid surface where it doesn’t fall. Don’t forget to catch the cheap bird bath solar pump kits that are available on Amazon and eBay!
Pedestal Bird Bath Fountain
The pedestal bird baths are the traditional fountains that are made up of wood. These are the classic vintage types but can be modified by just adding the solar-powered pump. You can have the same feeling of relaxation and sense of stress relief that you can get from ready-made solar bath fountains.
These also come with different designs and structures and can be adjustable according to our needs. Many people place it outdoors, which blends perfectly with the environment. These still come with big round water bowls that can be used to store water for many birds.
Some examples of these are sunflower bird bath, Hummingbird bird bath, copper bird bath, stone bird bath, and many more.
Solar Bird Bath Advantages
There are more benefits of solar bird baths than you can ever imagine! These benefits offer a variety of features that make bird lovers choose it over old bird baths anytime.
One of the most tangible benefits of using a solar bird bath is that it can save you a ton of money on power consumption over the years. Of course, these can run by simple electric or battery units, but you can have a better option for saving that extra money by using a modern-day technology that is renewable, cost-effective, and endurable than any other technology!’
If you use solar technology in the fountains, it will make the bird baths maintenance-friendly. It means we can use solar-powered bird baths for many years without spending a single penny on maintenance. Yes, that’s right! It provides zero to low maintenance costs if everything is done right. We just have to clean the bowls and take care of the pump regularly.
We can also save money on operation and installation costs. Compared to regular electric fountains, it doesn’t require any electric cables or battery packs. Regular bird baths need some installation costs because they come with electric cords or wires that we have to connect to our household electric sockets.
The last and most important benefit is that birds can have a great time with the bird bath fountains! These can be used for both cleaning the birds and drinking water. These beautiful things can create a great sense of psychological well-being and a bond with nature.
Traditional Bird Bath vs. Solar Powered Bath
As you are now familiar with solar-powered bird bath fountains, you can still argue that there are some advantages and disadvantages of using both. Let’s get some valuable insights on using both.
Traditional bird baths are easily customizable, which means you can change electric pumps with battery-operated pumps anytime you want. In the case of solar-powered motor pumps, you need to know about solar panels before any customization. For example, if you want to generate more power from solar panels and if you need to use them for another purpose, you should know how solar panels exactly work.
In cold and stormy weather conditions, the traditional ones can withstand the weather. But in the case of solar-powered bird bath fountain, solar panels could get damaged due to bad weather. To avoid damage from cold conditions, you can buy a combination of both electric and solar fountain units but it’s difficult to always move them in and out.
Considering both the methods, one plausible solution is that one can use the solar bird bath fountain when sunlight is visible, whereas on cloudy days or in winters when the daylight is unseen, you can go for the electric powered bird bath fountains!
Maintenance required for Solar Bird Baths
Though solar bird fountains have a low maintenance cycle, there are some cases where we have to take extra care.
First, we have to look for the cleanliness of the bird baths because the fountain’s basin may quickly get dirty due to dust particles, bird feathers, and bird droppings. These things can be avoided by regular cleaning of water trays with brush and soaps.
Another thing to keep in mind is that bird bath fountains splash the water, making water evaporate quickly. If this happens, given that the water level drops, then water pumps that are pushing the water above the fountain may malfunction or be damaged. So it is recommended not to keep the water level low and keep cleaning its basin twice a week or four times a month.
Don’t worry, here are a few quick recommendations that will help you in maintaining these bird baths. First, don’t place a fountain on a sloped surface, so make sure to make it on ground level. Second, make sure the fountain is placed far from the bird feeder because if it doesn’t, then bird droppings and other particles will cover the water trays, leading to unhygienic bowls for birds.
Thinking of Buying a Solar Bird Bath?
Well, most of the bird baths can be found online; a wider variety of structures and designs can also be found in bird supply stores or garden shops. So, check out online sites and retail stores in your area.
The first thing you have to do is to assess your budget and the features you want in your fountain. Depending on the features of the fountain, the price will vary. If you’re thinking of buying a modern bird bath then look for a decent fountain online and follow the instructions printed on the product sheet.
There are cheap versions of fountains available online, but the problem with them is the solar panel quality. If it is not good, then panels may get rusty soon. To create a custom homemade bird bath, you just need to buy a solar bird bath kit online, and you may even look for some online tutorials for assembling one.
If you are fond of experimenting then you can also buy old vintage fountains, such as sunflower bird baths, and convert them to a solar-powered ones!
Final Words
By and large, the whole idea of using a solar powered bird bath for birds adds many benefits for your surroundings, for birds who are looking for drinking water, and for you as a nature lover.
As Earth’s temperature increases, on average, by 0.5 degrees Celsius every year, it is our duty as human species to make our environment safe and nature friendly. So why not indulge more in keeping the furry birdies happy?!
You can set goals to bird-watch after you have placed your solar bird bath in your backyard and record your results.
