We wondered if the solar fountain bird baths work. I mean do they really produce a consistent visible fountain of water flow? So we got one of the cheapest ones to try our in our rustic DIY homeboy bird bath.
And yes, it works and we love it!
DIY Homeboy Bird bath
We’re using a rustic old metal fire pit bowl mounted over an old galvanized trash can lid mounted upside down on a wooden 4×4 post. Yep… sounds funky, is funky, but it works and we kind of like it’s rustic charm and that the only thing we had to buy was the solar pump.
It’s a homeboy job that works!
Nicer Models of Solar Fountain Birdbath Pumps
We started with one of the least expensive solar fountains that operates best in full sun and does not have battery storage to retain any solar charge.
Now that we know that the solar fountains work well, our next one will be an upgraded solar fountain bird bath pump that includes battery storage and lights for night time interest.
As with any product, you’ll want to check the reviews, as there are always some that work better than others. That said, we’ve been quite satisfied with our solar fountain bird bath pump.
Solar fountains for bird baths work best in larger birdbaths. You can get smaller solar disks for smaller tubs, but over all, you’re more likely to attract more wildlife with a larger birdbath that isn’t taken over by the size of the solar pump.
TIP: Solar fountains for bird baths work best in larger birdbaths.
Solar Fountain Bird Bath Benefits to the Garden
Adding a solar fountain bird bath to your garden can provide a number of benefits:
- AESTHETICS: A solar fountain bird bath can add an attractive focal point to your garden. The sight of water bubbling and splashing in the sun can be visually appealing and can make your garden look more vibrant and lively. And there are designs to suit any garden theme, from rustic to fancy; zen to whimsical.
- ATMOSPHERE: The sound of water is known to have a calming effect on people. A solar fountain bird bath can add a tranquil and relaxing element to your garden that you can enjoy while relaxing outside, and for some, when the doors and windows are open in warm weather, you may be able to hear it from inside as well..
- BIRDS: A bird bath with a fountain can help attract birds to your garden. Birds need water to drink and bathe, and a fountain can create a pleasing sound and movement that will catch their attention.
- CONVENIENCE: You can add a solar pump to your existing birdbath, fire pit bowl, or even a galvanized tub.
- ECOSYSTEM: Adding a bird bath to your garden can help support the local ecosystem by providing a source of water for birds and other wildlife. This can help create a more sustainable and diverse environment in your garden, including attract birds that eat mosquitoes and other bugs.
- ENERGY: Solar-powered fountains use energy from the sun to power the fountain. This means that you don’t need to connect them to an electrical source, which helps save on your energy bills.
- FRESH: A solar pump will help keep the water fresh through the aeration of the water into spray and movement. It might take the wildlife a little time to acclimate to the splashing but they should soon adjust, for afterall, they’re used to rain and streams.
- TOMATOES! Tomatoes? Yes! Having a birdbath (or other water source) in the garden can benefit your precious crops by actually helping to keep squirrels away from tomatoes!
How a Birdbath Fountain Helped to Save Our Tomatoes
A couple years ago, a reader advised us to add a water source to our garden in order to keep the squirrels from eating our tomatoes. She said they ate the tomatoes for the water content. Wow! That never occurred to us!
So we added a water source by way of an battered old bowl from a fire pit basin placed on the ground.
It worked. After three years of shoeing away marauding squirrels taking a bite or two out of many of our prize tomatoes just before harvest time, the war was over. The poor squirrels just needed water!
We’d been feeding squirrels and birds in winter but no longer had a bird bath. When one got broken, we hadn’t yet replaced it.
For an upgrade, 👨🏻🌾 we mounted the old dented fire bowl onto a pedestal and added a solar fountain pump from Amazon. It doesn’t have to be a solar fountain, to be a water source to help keep squirrels away, or for birds to have a bath.
Our Top Favorite Solar Fountain Bird Bath Wins
So for us, a solar fountain bird bath, checks all the boxes of benefits for an all-around win-win-win:
- Attract birds (that eat ticks, mosquitoes and other bugs)
- Provides water for birds and other creatures
- Helps protect our tomatoes (by providing water for squirrels)
Will a Solar Fountain Bird Bath Pump Work in Partial Sun?
Full or mostly sunny locations are best for the maximum fountain spout and flow. However, ours is in a mostly sunny spot that gets the bulk of the morning and later afternoon sun. Below is what it looks like in shade with some dappled sunlight .
A Short Video on Our Rustic Solar Fountain Bird Bath
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds! I’m a writer, editor and media publisher for our family of websites.
While I was certified in fitness and life coaching, I am NOT a health practitioner. However, I’m a lifelong health enthusiast, with a keen interest in healthy, organic foods and making home remedies and the content we share is from our own experience and usage as well as that extracted from scientific research so that you can explore further on your own.
Always seek the advice and guidance of your health practitioners first and foremost.
As a family we’re steadily expanding our gardening, experimentation and knowledge around all things gardening, edible landscaping, fresh organic foods and self sustainability with farming in our future. I also own and manage iCreateDaily.com, a site all about transformation through creation, and the power of positivity, optimism and mindset.