Self cleaning bird bath... is spraying water enough to keep it clean? (1 Viewer)

[MountainLife]

I currently live in Arizona and have been putting very shallow bowl of water outside for the quail and the tiny harris antelope squirrel (they drink water from it often!!). I started doing this few months ago. However I will be moving out of Arizona (thank goodness!!) but I am worried that certain wildlife which visit every single day have become somewhat dependent on the water source.

... so I am trying to see if I can setup a permanent water source for them using my sprinkler system and a copper bird bath bowl. If I were to do this my setup would be:

A SHALLOW copper bird bath bowl on the ground (with few rocks in it so that baby quail don't drown). Then I would setup my sprinkler system to blast water inside the bowl to empty it completely (TWO times a day) and I would also have a drip line which would refill the bowl with water after it gets blasted empty. My setup would be similar to this except I do not know if I can get my sprinkler line to give such a strong BLAST: How to Make an Automatic Bird Bath

Unfortunately the tenants who will living in my house (after I move out) are not going to give a rat's behind about keeping a bird bath clean (shameful) so I am trying to setup something that can be self cleaning.

Will this be ENOUGH to keep the bird bath clean?

I WISH I could still get something like this but they don't seem to make it anymore!!??

PS: off topic but how do I change my avatar photo?

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

I would guess once you’ve moved, the wildlife will find an alternative source of water.

There are restrictions on new members which include being able to upload their own avatar. You have to be a member for five days and have made ten posts on the forum. Hope that helps!

 

[MountainLife]

Thanks for your reply but I still want to figure out if my self cleaning bird bath method would keep it clean enough?? I assume it will suffice since it would be getting new water refilled inside it every single day and bird bath would be sprayed down every day.... but it would never be scrubbed is my only concern.

 

[Kits]

From all the information on google, it would seem that a bird bath needs to be scrubbed regularly to prevent scum and algae growth.

 

[Mono]

Maybe some sort of pond would be a better solution.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I use a very large and shallow clay tray that is made for use under plant pots. I dump the water out at the end of every day and once a week I use a bleach solution to kill any growth on the bottom of the tray (and replace it with a smaller tray while the large one is soaking). Birds poop in the water and it is not healthy to leave the contaminated water for birds to drink.

Private ponds required a lot of water and maintenance including recirculation pumps and UV filters to keep them healthy. One could take up the space and spend thousands of dollars but I prefer to use my clay tray that cost me about $50.

Bad enough that there are thousands of golf courses with each using a million gallons of water each day in Arizona and southern California without adding to the loss of groundwater with private ponds.

 

[MountainLife]

Thanks for the replies. I feel REALLY bad if I don't leave water source when I move. Are you 100% positive without a DOUBT that it will not cause any suffering if I move and they abruptly lose the water source I have in my backyard?

I almost feel like, if I get a copper bird bath (since copper supposedly "prevents" algae build up)... and I setup my sprinkler to spray the bowl empty twice a day that this would suffice?

Because don't natural ponds in the wild have a certain amount of algae in the first place?

 

[Kits]

How do you think the wildlife managed for water before you provided some? The clue is in the word wild.

 

[Trinovid]

I feel REALLY bad if I don't leave water source when I move. Are you 100% positive without a DOUBT that it will not cause any suffering if I move and they abruptly lose the water source I have in my backyard?

If that water source disappears they’ll simply find another one and the main difference is that they would simply stop going to your yard. They’ll be fine, as finding food and water are their main specialties.

 

[Elkhornsun]

Man has drained marshes and ponds and put water underground in culverts and pipes and removed natural water sources for wildlife. Birds have sources for food but not for water, both for drinking and for bathing to remove parasites.

 

[MountainLife]

Man has drained marshes and ponds and put water underground in culverts and pipes and removed natural water sources for wildlife. Birds have sources for food but not for water, both for drinking and for bathing to remove parasites.

This is exactly why I will be making sure to setup ongoing water source before I leave (move) so that the water source I am providing now doesn't suddenly vanish. So long as the bowl is copper and water is emptied from it several times a day it will be perfectly fine... and at least all the quail and tiny squirrels who drink from it several times a day (it is 115+ degrees hot hell hole in arizona!!)... will make their life a LOT easier!!

It is wrong to suddenly remove water source once you have provided it. Human race has caused enough suffering to wild life. Period.

 

[Kits]

Man has drained marshes and ponds and put water underground in culverts and pipes and removed natural water sources for wildlife. Birds have sources for food but not for water, both for drinking and for bathing to remove parasites.

You’ve missed out the word some.