Water is life!

We all know that life cannot exist without water, so by providing birds in your garden with water you fulfil one of their most basic needs. But note that birds do not only use water to drink, but also to clean themselves. Many garden birdwatchers have enjoyed the spectacle of a dove or sparrow bathing.

Providing water for your garden birds can be a very simple or a massive project. It is up to you how much money and time you want to spent. The simplest of water features can consist of a hollow stone that you can pick up on a farm or even in your yard and it wont cost you a cent.

Bird baths

You can buy a water bath. These come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and you will be able to select one according to your taste. Just make sure that they are not too deep and that the birds will have a perch to drink from.

This Cape Robin-chat is enjoying a bath (Simon du Plessis)

Water features

A wide variety of more elaborate water features including small waterfalls are also available. With these water features you will need to buy a pump and provide electricity to the pump. When choosing a water feature do not only look at the aesthetics of it - what might be nice looking for us as human beings might be totally useless to birds. Many of these water features are way too deep and birds will never be able to drink from them. However running water always attracts birds and will be enjoyed by them.

You can also buy large artificial waterfalls, but make sure your garden is large enough to support them.

Ponds

Creating a pond is also a great idea. If you can combine this with the correct plants and maybe add some fish. You will create a whole new habitat (wetland area) in your garden. If the pond has shallow areas, birds will drink and bath in it and kingfishers might come and try their luck with your fish (so please do not put your most expensive Khoi in your pond!). Most nurseries, gardening books and magazines have information about building and establishing ponds. Its certainly worth a try.