bird bath observation (1 Viewer)

We have a fairly large concrete bird bath in our garden which attracts starlings blackbirds and sparrows regularly. A lot of thorough washing and splashing goes on and we frequently need to rinse out the bath to get rid of scum and oil which I presume is what the birds clean out of their feathers. However, when we went to live in the US for three years we noticed a difference in bird habits. Having had our bird bath (and bird table too) trans-atlantically shipped to our new home, we found that it was only used for drinking - not bathing. Despite the large number of birds that visited our yard, and the absence of any very nearby pool or stream, I never saw any bird enter the bath - just perch on the edge and drink. This lack of bathing was also confirmed by the fact that the water remained clean and scum-free, although in hot weather it needed refilling frequently. The local raccoon also had a knack for removing the bowl top from the concrete pedestal at regular intervals. While serching the forum archives I noticed that Snowyowl in Canada also only had drinking not bathing birds. Is this because New World birds prefer showers to baths????

Jampots said:

Having had our bird bath (and bird table too) trans-atlantically shipped to our new home, we found that it was only used for drinking - not bathing.

Click to expand...

Have no idea why American birds are 'fussier' than UK birds ...but have to say I'm impressed by your dedication in shipping out a large concrete bird bath