Summers today are hotter than summers in yesteryear. But for those of us who want to enjoy the sights and sounds of backyard birds in summer, it’s important to keep our little friends hydrated in the best way, despite the rising temperatures. Birds feel the same discomfort in hot weather as humans do, but birds don’t sweat. Instead, they try to regulate their body temperature by panting. This can all take a toll on garden birds, resulting in rapid moisture loss.

Your bird bath can help garden birds make it through the summer – but simply setting out water isn’t always enough to attract your bird friends, especially when intense heat quickens the rate of evaporation and encourages the potential for algae. When temperatures spike above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32°C), you quickly wind up with a stagnant, sun-baked bird bath or an empty bowl. Providing consistently chilled, reliable hydration will boost your bird numbers, but how do you ensure this in a way that isn’t too draining on your own time?

If you don’t want your bird bath to become a hot tub or an empty bowl, and want to save yourself some time while enjoying the view, this trick is perfect for you. Discover how a simple Tupperware tub holds the key to happy, hydrated birds that stay cool and refreshed for longer, freeing up more of your time for relaxing in the yard!

Birds Just Want to Stay Cool

A garden without birds is more like a photo than a living ecosystem. It’s the butterflies winging by, the hum of bees, and, mostly, the twitter of wild birds in the trees that make a landscape come alive. When the heat is oppressive, birds suffer just like we do, and the most important survival step is to stay hydrated. While we can open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of cool water, cardinals and robins cannot – and that bird bath needs to work extra hard when temperatures soar.

During peak July heatwaves, you can fill a shallow bird bath in the morning, only to find it bone-dry or hot enough to steep tea by noon. Constantly running out with the hose or watering can is a chore that quickly loses its charm, and birds won’t visit your bird bath if it is left to stagnate. Added to which, warm, stagnant water is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mosquito larvae.

Keeping water fresh and cool is the single best way to prevent the transmission of avian diseases in summer, as well as keeping them refreshed. But unless there happens to be a sheltered river running through a forest near your property, it’s up to you to take action to keep your local finches, sparrows, robins, cardinals and bluebirds hydrated in a heatwave. Luckily, the following trick really can help you protect birds from heat exhaustion and illness, while sparing yourself endless trips to and from the faucet.

Keeping a Bird Bath Cool in a Heatwave

Icecubes are a wonderful thing in a heatwave. Have you ever taken a tall kitchen glass full of ice cubes and water or lemonade out to the patio during summer heat? The beverage stays cooler longer, giving you more time to finish the drink at a nice temperature. Well, you can also use the ice cube principle to keep your birdbath cool in summer heat. First, make sure your bird basin is placed in dappled shade, under trees or shrubs. Water features are best in areas that receive some afternoon shade to naturally block out the most punishing UV rays.

As for the bath, ceramic and stone bowls are ideal. One great ceramic option is the Sunnydaze Avignon Freestanding Ceramic Bird Bath from Walmart. Exercise caution with metal bowls. A thin, cheap metal dish in direct sunlight can quickly reach temperatures that are painful to avian feet. However, heavy-duty cast iron or shaded aluminum baths can work under dense tree cover with a cooling element. There are also some excellent plastic and resin options, such as the popular Best Choice Vintage Fleur de Lis Standing Bird Bath from Amazon. With these elements in hand, you’re ready to deploy the secret weapon for thirsty birds: the giant ice cube!

Using the Tupperware Trick

Now, our ice cubes are designed to fit into glasses and beakers. These small pieces of ice would cool off the bird bath water, but only for a short period of time. Just set an ice cube on the deck in the next heatwave and see how fast it turns into a puddle of water. Instead, you need to make a large ice cube, specially for the birds. For this, you need to use a tupperware or other large, plastic container. It’s all about the surface area-to-volume ratio. Tiny household ice cubes melt in mere minutes under a hot July sun because of their high surface area. However, a dense block of ice in a standard 32 or 64-ounce Tupperware container has a much lower surface area relative to its thermal mass, so it takes a lot longer to thaw.

Ensure your container is made of flexible, freezer-safe plastic, so the frozen block slides out easily after a quick rinse under the tap. If you haven’t got any Tupperware, you can pick up packs of mixed-size food storage containers online. The Rubbermaid EasyStore 18-Piece Set from Walmart is a good option for freezing large, easy-release blocks of ice. You can also get GladWare DeepDish Containers (64 oz) in packs of three from Amazon. Fill your tub with water and freeze it overnight. In the early morning, add your giant ice cube to the bird bath. As it slowly melts, it will create chilled water for your wild birds to enjoy.

Variations on the Tupperware Trick

Alternatively, you can use small plastic water bottles to freeze the water. By freezing water inside sealed, reusable plastic bottles, the cooling effect is transferred directly through the plastic barrier without raising the water level of your bath as it thaws. Fill each one up about three-quarters of the way before you freeze them. This gives the water room to expand as it freezes. In the morning, change out the water in the bird bath. Then take out one or two bottles and lay them directly in the water. These act as big ice cubes, cooling the water in the bowl for hours. Later in the day, switch these out for new bottles and refreeze the old ones.

For an extra touch of summer fun, use your giant ice cubes or bottles of ice alongside a floating solar aerator. A solar-powered floating fountain will create sparkles and splashes to attract your birds. Furthermore, mosquitoes require still water to lay their eggs, so a moving, chilled bath disrupts their breeding cycle. Try the Mademax Solar Bird Bath Fountain Upgrade from Amazon, which can be dropped into an existing bath and runs without wiring.

Other Summer Bird Bath Essentials

Your giant ice cube will keep water cool for longer and save you loads of time at the faucet – but it’s still important to keep an eye on the general cleanliness of things every few days. Make sure your bird bath is kept free of organic debris, bird droppings, and algae. It’s a good idea to scrub your bird bath once or twice a week using a stiff brush, such as the Songbird Essentials Bird Brush from Amazon. Use a simple solution of nine parts water to one part white vinegar. Rinse and dry completely before refilling.

For a more relaxing way of keeping your bird bath water clean, try using a copper disc into the bowl. You can pick these up inexpensively online. Our team loves the Melbree Bird Bath Purification Discs, also available from Amazon. They are a simple way of preventing algae buildup, helping to keep the basins cleaner for even longer.

Shop Bird Bath Extras

Ready to finetune your summer bird sanctuary? These curated backyard essentials are guaranteed to keep your feathered friends happy, hydrated, and returning to your yard even when summer temperatures spike. Slide these avian treasures into place as summer heats up, so birds know your backyard is the place to be!

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