Birds are very cautious about bathing in water that’s too deep. Unfortunately many of the birdbaths for sale have deep basins. If you fill them with less water, birds that just want a drink will have a hard time reaching the water from the edge. If you fill them full, only bigger birds will be brave enough to take a bath.
To fix this problem, I put flat stones in the bottom of all my birdbaths. You can use stones from your yard or buy them very inexpensively at places that sell landscape materials. I arrange them on one side of the basin so that bigger birds like Robins and Blue Jays still have a place to splash.
When I fill the basin, I just barely cover most of the stones with water. Not only will your birdbath be more popular with the feathered variety, but insects like bees that collect water for their hives will also appreciate having a place to land.
