Location is Everything! Where to Place Outdoor Birdbaths.

When shopping for outdoor birdbaths, you need to consider where you’re going to put them. Most people make the mistake of only considering aesthetics. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a beautiful yard, but the birds will thank you if you put some extra thought and care into your birdbath placement!  

Here’s where not to place a birdbath:

Directly under trees or shrubs: If you put the birdbath under a tree or shrub, the water will probably get filled with leaves, fallen blooms, fruits, etc. This makes it very hard to keep your birdbath clean! 

Near your bird feeders: If your outdoor birdbaths are too close to your bird feeders, they’ll quickly get contaminated with seeds, hulls, and bird droppings.

Close to windows: Unfortunately, your windows can harm songbirds when they collide with the glass. It’s a good idea to keep the bird traffic flow away from potentially-harmful windows. 

In the middle of a wide-open area: Songbirds need shelter from predators, so they won’t want to use a birdbath unless there is shelter nearby. Try to put the bath close to a tree or shrub where birds can escape if they feel threatened.

In a place where children or pets can access it: Birdbaths can be risky for children because no matter how clean you keep them, they’re still going to have bird droppings on and around them. Birds can carry dangerous bacteria. And, you don’t want to turn your birdbath into a hunting ground for cats or other pets. Birds have to let their guard down when they are drinking or taking a bath, and it makes them vulnerable to cats and other predatory animals.  

Here’s where you should place your outdoor birdbaths! 

Close to a hose, spigot, rain barrel, downspout, or sprinkler: Birds might come to depend on your outdoor birdbaths as a source of drinking water, so it’s important to keep your birdbaths full—especially if there aren’t other good water sources nearby. But, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time and energy keeping your birdbaths full of fresh water, so you need to make it as easy as possible by placing it near a water source. You can even set it up to refill automatically by placing it under a downspout or near a sprinkler. That way, you don’t have to worry about it nearly as often!

In a place that’s easy for you to see and access: If you put the birdbath in a remote corner of the yard, you might not notice when it needs to be cleaned or refilled. It can turn into a breeding ground for algae, mold, harmful bacteria, or annoying insects. A gross and dirty bird bath will harm birds more than it helps them. Plus, you’ll be able to see and enjoy your beautiful outdoor birdbath every day. 

Iris Birdbath by Campania International

In a partially-shady garden or flower bed: A little bit of shade helps to keep algae from growing in your birdbath, and it also keeps water from evaporating in the summer heat. Depending on your climate, you might need to put it in a shadier location in summer and a sunnier location in winter.

Cottage Garden Birdbath by Campania International

We hope these tips helped you find the perfect place for your new bird baths! And, if you’re still looking for the best bird bath for your garden, we have dozens of styles and colors to choose from!