Are you a homeowner who loves the sights and sounds of birds in your backyard? You’re definitely not alone! Loads of homeowners consider themselves “birders” and look for ways to attract birds into their backyard each year. One of the easiest, not to mention most attractive, methods for attracting your avian friends is to consider adding water features for birds.
From bird baths to waterfall features, there are tons of ways to use water features to attract birds and have your backyard alive with chirps and song. Today, we’re talking about how to design a water feature for birds to give them a safe space to land and create your own little bird sanctuary!
Adding a Water Feature for Birds
Birds use water for two main purposes: to drink and to clean themselves. All species of birds need water, meaning adding water features for birds may attract even those that would never visit a traditional feeder. Water also helps them clean their feathers and keep cool inside and out, so adding a water feature for birds to your yard is not only a showpiece, but friendly for your feathered friends.
Curious on how to design a water feature for birds to get them to visit your backyard? We’ve put together a few tips and ideas for your water feature installation:
- Using traditional bird baths
- Building a backyard bird pond
- Attracting birds with waterfall features
- Adding lots of landscaping for safety and food sources
- Cleaning your water feature properly
Adding a Bird Bath in Backyard Landscaping
Up first on our list of tips and ideas for how to design a water feature for birds in your backyard comes the bird bath. Probably the first type of water feature that comes to mind, bird baths can be all kinds of different things. You’re not limited to the simple water basin that your mom or dad had when you were growing up (you know the one). Get creative and you could have a unique water feature for birds that works as a bird bath and show stopper!
For example, backyard fountains are excellent bird baths. The sounds of moving water making a splash are more likely to attract birds than a still basin. Fountains can also provide a large enough reservoir to attract multiple birds at once, giving your backyard the wildlife-friendly vibe you’re going for.
Building a Backyard Bird Pond
When it comes to how to design a water feature for birds, a backyard pond installation is a popular idea. Regardless of whether you’re looking at a huge backyard pond to be a centerpiece for your landscaping or small pond ideas that still add a wow factor, ponds of any size can be very bird-friendly. Larger ponds may even attract larger species of birds, depending on your area and which species are nearby.
Attracting Birds With Waterfall Features
If you’re looking to amp up a water feature for birds, adding a waterfall feature to your backyard pond is another great idea. These designs add a larger element of moving water and natural sounds that attract birds of all kinds while also taking your pond to the next level. Adding a waterfall can truly give you one of the most unique water feature installations in Albany, Colonie, Saratoga, Schenectady, and surrounding areas!
Beyond the looks, waterfall features give birds a dynamic drinking station and bathing spot. Using materials for rock water features (such as slate or native rocks to the area) may attract birds the most as a way to keep cool and look the most natural. Adding in lots of landscaping makes your waterfall feature blend in the most and will have birds flocking to your backyard!
Landscaping a Water Feature for Birds
Beyond the types of water feature for birds you choose, adding landscaping is an important factor in both completing the look for your backyard space and offering natural shelter and safety for your avian friends. Bids can feel more vulnerable out in the open, making it less likely that they’ll make the pitstop in your yard very long, if at all. Adding landscaping to your water feature installation gives them a natural sense of shelter and security from would-be predators, creating a safe space for birds to use your water feature without flying off.
Additionally, landscaping with the right types of flowers and plants may offer birds a food source. Natural food sources like planting seed-bearing and nectar plants can increase the number of birds you have visiting your backyard space.
Pro Tip: NVS Waterscapes is a division of NVS Landscapes, providing you with the best water feature installation and landscaping services in Albany, Saratoga, Colonie, Schenectady, and the surrounding areas from start to finish! Our professionals will design backyard landscaping that’s both bird-friendly and gives your yard an incredible look you can be proud of.
Cleaning a Water Feature for Birds
Last up on our list of tips and ideas for how to design a water feature for birds we’re talking about water feature maintenance. Having the most beautiful water feature for birds combined with stunning landscaping isn’t the end of the deal; you also have to make sure you’re keeping your water feature clean for the birds to use safely. This means not adding harsh chemicals or cleaning elements that could pose a hazard to birds using your water feature to cool off or drink.
Standing water in more traditional bird baths will need to be cleaned more often than a recirculating water feature for birds. Making sure you’re using animal-safe cleaning methods to maintain a water feature after installation is the best way to keep birds visiting and your backyard wildlife friendly. The good news is that cleaning a water feature is relatively low-maintenance so you don’t have to worry about it taking up all of your time!
As you can see, there are many tips and ideas for how to design a water feature for birds in your backyard space. From choosing the right type of water feature to add to your yard to finishing the look with landscaping, our water feature installation professionals are here to help. Start planning your water feature for birds with the NVS Waterscapes Project Planner. Save your plans or submit your plans to us and we’ll get started!
Want some more inspiration to build a water feature for birds in your yard this year? Check out these resources to get some ideas flowing:
