Remember a birdbath for the birds
Small birds and water
Many people feed birds, but far fewer provide them with water. Birds need clean water to drink and bathe in. Water is especially important in winter, when natural water sources are frozen, as well as during dry periods in summer.
Water for birds increases the number of visitors to your garden by 50%
Birds meet their need for water through their diet or by drinking. Many insect-eating birds get the water they need through their diet, while seed-fed birds have a dry diet and therefore need to drink more. If you provide water for your birds, you will increase the number of visitors by 50%.
Birds need to drink at least twice a day
As birds have no sweat glands, they need less water than mammals. However, they lose water through breathing and their droppings. Most small birds need to drink at least twice a day to replace their lost fluids.
Water is available to birds in the wild in the form of shallow streams and puddles. Woodland birds can drink water droplets that collect on leaves. Swallows and swifts that spend their days in constant flight can swallow water droplets while flying.
How do birds drink?
Most birds drink by dipping their beaks into the water and then tilting their heads back to swallow. Pigeons, however, can submerge their beaks and drink continuously.