Solar Powered Bird Baths
All creatures need water for drinking and washing and birds are no exceptions. Solar
powered bird baths are water fountain powered by the sun's energy using small solar
panels. The solar panels often have an electric cables attached which allow the
panel to be placed a short distance away from a bird bath itself but some models
have the solar panel incorporated in the bath as shown in the image below. If your
Solar powered bird bath is located in a shaded area then its best to choose a model
with a separate solar panel that can be located in a bright area of your yard.
Solar powered bird baths are perfect for bird as they make the sound of moving water
which will attract species of wild birds to a yard that would not visit a feeding
station, such as pure insect eaters. The moving water also prevents stagnation which
can result in stale algae ridden water which birds are not attracted to. These solar
fountains only run when sunlight is hitting the energy collecting panels. They will
not run at night, but for this application, they do not really need to as most birds
are active during daylight hours.
The solar panels used to power solar powered bird baths are also known as a solar
cell or photovoltaic (PV) which is a device that converts sunlight directly into
electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Their construction is completely different
to solar panels for hot water which use pipes to collect the heat from the sun.
Solar cells are made up of thin layers of silicon, and when sunlight strikes a cell's
light absorbing material, chemical reactions release electrons, generating an electric
current.
Kits are available to convert your existing bird bath into a solar powered bird
bath or you can buy the solar powered bird bath already setup to use solar power.
Some models include a solar light which comes on after the sun has set. This is
powered by a battery pack which is charged by the sun during the day.
Flowing water doesn’t freeze as quickly as still water but there will be a point
when the water does freeze. Its recommended that a solar powered bird bath is switched
off at this point to prevent damage to the solar powered pump. Heaters can be purchased
for you solar powered bird bath but they are not recommended as they will not run
efficiently off the solar panel and when you need them most, such as during the
dark winter months, the solar panel isn’t running at its most efficient.