How to help birds beat the heat

Record temperatures, drought, smoky air and loss of habitat make it increasingly difficult for feathered and other winged creatures to find the water they need.

But there's a simple way that humans can help them: install a birdbath.

"A source of clean, fresh water can be one of the hardest things for birds to find," said Kim Eierman, an environmental horticulturist and the founder of EcoBeneficial, an ecological landscape design firm, who teaches at the New York Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Putting in birdbaths is something that's easy for homeowners and even apartment dwellers and tenants of commercial spaces, she said.

"You're increasing the health of the birds by providing a resource that's really tough to find," said Eierman, who lays out nature-friendly tips in her book "The Pollinator Victory Garden." "In the summer months, it's way more important than putting up birdseed."

There's also the added delight of attracting birds and watching them splash about.

Having a successful birdbath involves several basic but important steps.

Tiered is good: Having a tiered birdbath can help accommodate smaller birds. They should be no more than two to three inches deep.

Add rocks: Eierman suggests putting in rocks or larger stones to give smaller birds a place to perch and safely drink. The baths should be located in fairly shaded areas near trees or shrubs, and away from the full sun, which causes the water to spoil more quickly. That also gives birds a place to retreat from predators.

Change water at least daily: New water will offset a bird's unfortunate habit of pooping where it bathes and drinks (while birds love moving water, fountains without good filtration run the risk of recirculating dirty water).

Don't fear mosquitoes: "The simple act of changing the water once a day will prevent mosquitoes from forming, end of story," said Eierman, who doesn't use pesticides, and instead selects native plants that attract what she calls garden allies: Mountain Mint draws predatory wasps, and Golden Alexanders draw ladybugs, both of which prey on unwanted pests.

A strong jet blast from a garden hose can perform the double duty of cleaning and refilling the bath. The bath also should be scrubbed and rinsed regularly; if there's algae, it needs a cleaning. The Audubon Society recommends using one part vinegar to nine parts water; synthetic soaps and cleansers can strip oil from birds' feathers.

"It gives insects a safe place to take a sip without the potential of drowning," Eierman said.

Eierman's garden at her home has four birdbaths and an insect hydration station. The baths are set at different heights to accommodate not just different sizes and species of birds and insects, but also squirrels and the like.

She recalled once watering a client's parched rhododendrons only to have a chipmunk race up to drink from the puddle that formed a few feet from where she stood.

"That's how desperate it was," Eierman said. "I always think about making it accessible for all those creatures."