You Already Have a Bird Bath – Now Add the One Often Overlooked Feature That Help Birds To Truly Thrive
A dust bath is just as important to backyard birds, and it couldn't be easier to make
If you want to keep backyard birds happy this summer, you might have considered investing in a bird bath – but dust baths are the often-overlooked detail that is just as important.
While birds drink and bathe from fresh water sources like bird baths, they also clean themselves off in patches of dirt and dust. This is what helps them to keep their feathers healthy by removing excess oils, as well as mites and lice.
So, before you remove every inch of dry or dirty ground in your yard, spare a thought for backyard birds and try creating a dust bath instead. Below, we reveal exactly how to do it, and why it's so important – especially in the months ahead.
Why Do Birds Take Dust Baths?
It might sound counterintuitive, but birds use dust and dirt to help keep themselves clean. In fact, if you've been searching for ways to help garden birds in the summer, a dust bath is one of the best resources you can provide.
Birds naturally produce oils which keep their plumage clean, waterproof, and flexible. Over time, however, these oils can build up and cause birds' feathers to become matted – which can affect both body temperature and aerodynamics. With this in mind, rolling in dust and loose dirt remove this excess oil.
Dust baths aren't simply a way to keep clean, however; they also provide protection from parasites and diseases.
Parasites like lice, mites and fleas can start to breed within the underlayers of a bird's feathers – especially during spring and summer. And just as it controls the build-up of oil, dust can dislodge any critters nesting deep in a bird's coat, keeping them safe and pest-free.
Of course, installing a bird bath in your yard is a vital way to give birds both fresh drinking water and a dedicated spot to bathe. Yet water alone won't keep birds sufficiently clean, and dust and dirt is what really allows them to maintain a healthy coat.
If you're keen to cultivate a thriving wildlife garden this summer, you'll know that deciding where to place your bird bath is crucial – primarily because exposed locations can leave birds vulnerable to predators.
However, birds searching for loose dirt may be just as vulnerable, since they often end up in dry patches of lawn which are neither sheltered nor safe. This is why creating a dust bath in your yard can be so transformative – and fortunately, it's one of the easiest and most affordable ways to fill your garden with birds in the summertime.
How to Create a Dust Bath For Birds
The biggest bird bath mistakes involve selecting the wrong area and materials, and dust baths are no different. A truly effective dust bath requires two crucial components: a warm but shaded spot, and a base made up of sand and topsoil.
To build your dust bath, you'll want to select a wide, shallow container or frame. A simple basin is ideal – you can choose something like this terracotta bird bath bowl from Wayfair, or opt for a budget-friendly plastic saucer, like this set from Amazon.
If you fancy upcycling an existing container, you can also use a simple wood crate lined with landscaping fabric (which you'll find at Home Depot).
It's important to consider the shape and size of your basin, since birds need enough space to roll around safely. Drainage is another significant factor; if you live in a rainy area, you may want to use a raised saucer with drainage holes, since this will stop your dust mixture from turning to mud.
It's best to position your container in a shaded spot, since this creates protection from both rainstorms and predators. Make sure that your dust bath isn't too close to shrubs or dense border plants, however, as these can be used as cover by larger animals who may try to hunt birds as they bathe.
When it comes to the mixture itself, dust is the most valuable ingredient – but it is, in fact, best to use sand. (Think anything that you might add to a children's sandbox, such as this all-natural play sand from Home Depot.)
Mineral-rich soil is another important factor, since it allows birds to clean themselves most effectively. With this in mind, you'll want to add a layer of organic topsoil (which you can find at Walmart).
Other helpful additions include diatomaceous earth – which is a brilliant for natural pest control – and untreated wood ash, which birds will naturally seek out in forests and open land. (Diatomaceous earth is available from retailers like Lowe's, and you can use it to deter pests throughout your garden.)
No matter what kind of dust mix you choose, remember to keep it natural: pesticides or scented ingredients can be harmful, and the aim of a dust bath is, of course, to mimic what birds find in the wild.
If you're in need of more avian advice as spring turns to summer, you can check our tips on how to feed birds, or read up on how birds benefit your backyard.
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