[Mnbird] heated bird bath question

[Jolynn Nelson]

We have two popular heated bird baths. When the temperatures get below zero F, I put a rock in the middle of the bath, both are baseball sized or larger. It allows the birds to drink but there isn’t enough room to bathe, and they can perch on the rock. You have to clean the rock when you clean the bath out, but it isn’t a big deal. Years ago we had one bird freeze, and that was a starling when it was -20F. After that I started using rocks in the bath. 


> On Dec 16, 2018, at 10:26 AM, Charter via Mnbird <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote:
> 
> I have had starlings freeze in my bath in extreme cold, 10 below type weather, yes it can happen. If you keep it full you can put a quarter inch mesh across the top. So they can still get there beak through. Obviously nothing big enough they can stick their head into or other body parts to get stuck. I wouldn’t use the standard chicken type wire. Not sure Why it’s more starling house sparrow specific.
> Is it I don’t know any better or does it have to do with the amount of oil in their feathers?
> Waterfowl obviously do not have this issue. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Dec 16, 2018, at 5:44 AM, Susan Kennedy via Mnbird <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net <mailto:mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>> wrote:
> 
>> I have a very popular heated bird bath, with many species coming for a drink in the below freezing weather.  This year it is very busy with the large number of robins staying the winter eating hackberries.  I see that the non-native house sparrows and starlings will sometimes bathe in the very cold weather, but not the native ones.  I never see frozen birds after this happens, so does this mean that they survive the bathing?  It seems an odd sight in the very cold weather.
>> 
>> Susan Kennedy in SW Mpls.
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