Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary

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Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Location:	314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, Connecticut
Built:	1914
Architect:	Unknown
Architectural style(s):	Other
Governing body:	Private
Added to NRHP:	June 23, 1982[1]
Designated NHL:	April 19, 1993[2]
NRHP Reference#:	82004371

The Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary, also known as Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary or simply Birdcraft Sanctuary, in Fairfield, Connecticut is the oldest private songbird sanctuary in the United States. It was established in 1914 by Mabel Osgood Wright.^[3]
The 6-acre (24,000 m²) site was originally planted as a refuge to attract, harbor and feed migratory and resident birds. The Audubon Society has documented sightings of more than 120 species of birds at this site.^[4]
"Connecticut Audubon Society volunteers, licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have operated a bird banding station here since 1979."^[4]
The natural history museum contains mounted preserved animals displayed in dioramas depicting Connecticut's wildlife as it existed at the end of the 20th century, as well as the Frederick T. Bedford Collection of African Animals.^[4]
The Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993.^[2][3]
The museum is one of 7 nature centers and 19 wildlife sanctuaries operated by Connecticut Audubon, which is not part of the National Audubon Society.

Shore Diorama

Part of the African animal collection

 

Horse markings

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These young horses, though all the same color, exhibit uniquely different markings, which can be used to identify individual horses

A marking on a horse's muzzle showing pink skin under most of the white hairs, dark skin at the edges of the marking.

Note: This article is about individualized markings on any breed, type, or color of horse and does not discuss coat colors generally. For information on coat colors that produce genetically distinctive markings, see equine coat color.

Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life. Most markings have pink skin underneath most of the white hairs, though a few faint markings may occasionally have white hair with no underlying pink skin. Markings may appear to change slightly when a horse grows or sheds its winter coat, however the difference is simply a factor of hair coat length, the underlying design does not change.
On a gray horse, markings visible at birth may become hidden as the horse turns white with age, but markings can still be determined by trimming the horse's hair closely, then wetting down the coat to see where there is pink skin and black skin under the hair.

Contents [hide] 1 Types of white markings 1.1 Facial markings 1.2 Leg markings 2 Examples 2.1 Facial markings 2.2 Leg markings 3 Non-white markings 4 Other markings 4.1 Natural markings 4.2 Scarring, skin disease and injury 5 Other identifying features 6 Coat Colors with distinctive patterns 7 References

[edit] Types of white markings

[edit] Facial markings

Facial markings. Top row, L-R: Blaze, Stripe, Stripe (or thin blaze) and snip, Irregular blaze, Interrupted stripe, bald face. Bottom row, L-R: Faint star, Star, Star and strip, irregular star, snip, lip marking

Facial markings are usually described by shape and location. There may be more than one distinct facial marking and if so, will be named separately. Occasionally, when a white marking extends over an eye, that eye may be blue instead of brown, though this is not consistently seen in all cases.
Common facial markings are:

• Blaze: a wide white stripe down the middle of the face.
• Strip, stripe, or race: a narrow white stripe down the middle of the face.
• Bald Face: a very wide blaze, extending to or past the eyes. Some, but not all, bald faced horses also have blue eyes.
• Star: a white marking between or above the eyes. If a stripe or blaze is present, a star must be significantly wider than the vertical marking to be designated separately.
• Snip: a white marking on the muzzle, between the nostrils.

Additional terms used to describe facial markings include the following:

• Faint: A small, yet permanent marking that usually consists of white hairs without any underlying pink skin.
• Interrupted: A marking, usually a strip or blaze, that is broken and not solid for the entire length of the face.
• Connected: Occasionally used to describe distinctively different markings that happen to be joined to one another
• Irregular or crooked: A marking, usually a strip or blaze, that does not have a more or less straight path.
• Lip markings: have no specialized names, usually are described by location, such as "lower lip," "chin", etc. Lip markings may indicate presence of the sabino color pattern.

Leg markings. Top row, L-R: Stocking, Sock or Boot, Fetlock or Sock. Bottom row, L-R: Pastern, Coronet, Partial Pastern

[edit] Leg markings

Leg markings are usually described by the highest point of the horse's leg that is covered by white. As a general rule, the horse's hoof beneath a white marking at the coronary line will also be light-colored ("white"). If a horse has a partial marking or ermine spots at the coronary band, the hoof may be both dark and light, corresponding with the hair coat immediately above. Where the Leopard gene is present, the hoof may be striped even if markings are not visible at the coronary band.
From tallest to shortest, common leg markings are:

• Stocking: white marking that extends at least to the bottom of the knee or hock, sometimes higher.
• Sock: white marking that extends higher than the fetlock but not as high as the knee or hock. This marking is sometimes called a "boot."
• Fetlock or Sock: white marking that extends over the fetlock, occasionally called a "boot."
• Pastern: white marking that extends above the top of the hoof, but stops below the fetlock.
• Coronet: white just above the hoof, around coronary band, usually no more than 1 inch (2.5cm) above the hoof.

Additional terms used to describe white leg markings include:

• Irregular: A marking within the broad confines of a given height, but with significantly uneven edges. Indicated by the highest point of the white. Most often used to describe certain types of stockings.
• Partial: An irregular marking that only extends up part of the leg to the height indicated, sometimes with the other side of the leg dark. Usually used to describe socks and other short markings.
• "High White:" White stockings that extend above the knee or hock, sometimes extending past the stifle onto the flank or belly, considered characteristic of the sabino color pattern.

[edit] Examples

[edit] Facial markings

A "baldfaced" horse

A horse with a blaze

A horse with a star, interrupted stripe, and snip

A horse with a star

[edit] Leg markings

Shorter marking is sometimes called a "fetlock" or a "sock," taller marking is clearly a sock

A stocking

A horse with "high white," including stockings on all four legs

A coronet marking

[edit] Non-white markings

Ermine marks, seen here on the coronary band, just above the hoof.

A Bend-Or Spot

• Bend-Or spots: Dark faint spotting, usually seen on horses with a Chestnut or Palomino coat color.
• Ermine marks: The occurrence of black marks on a white marking, most often seen on leg markings just above the hoof.
• "Medicine hat": An unusual type of Pinto or Paint coloring where the horse has dark ears and poll (like a hat on the head), but surrounded on all sides of the head and neck by white. ^[1]
• Shield: A dark Pinto marking where the horse has a dark colored chest, surrounded completely by white on the shoulders, legs, belly and neck. Occasionally used to describe the rarer example of a horse with a totally dark head surrounded completely by white.

[edit] Other markings

This horse has a belly spot. It also has a blaze and three stockings

Horses may have isolated body spots that are not large or numerous enough to qualify them as an Appaloosa, Pinto or Paint. Such markings are usually simply called "body spots," sometimes identified by location, i.e. "belly spot," "flank spot," etc. When this type of isolated spotting occurs, it is usually the action of the sabino gene.
Horses may develop white markings over areas where there was an injury to the animal, either to cover scar tissue from a cut or abrasion, or to reflect harm to the underlying skin or nerves. One common type of scarring that produces patches of white hairs are "saddle marks," which are round or oval marks on either side of the withers, produced by a pinching saddle that had been worn over a long period of time.

A white marking on the crest of a horse's neck artificially created by freeze branding, a form of marking for identification claimed to be nearly painless to the horse.

[edit] Natural markings

Birdcatcher spots are small white spots, usually between 1 mm and 1 inch (25.4 mm) in diameter. It is not yet known what controls their expression, although it is believed that they are not genetic. Birdcatcher spots occur in many breeds. These spots may occur late in a horse's life, or may occur and then disappear.
Ticking or Birdcatcher ticks are markings that involves white flecks of hair at the flank, and white hairs at the base of the tail, called a "skunk tail". These patterns are permanent and probably genetic. It is thought that this roaning effect might be linked to the rabicano gene. The name comes from a Thoroughbred horse named Birdcatcher, who had white hairs throughout his flank and tail

[edit] Scarring, skin disease and injury

• Rainscald or Dermatophilus congolensis can leave a horse with small white spots, especially along his top line.

• Roan horses often develop patches of solid (dark) hair on the roan sections of their bodies wherever there has been any scratch or damage to underlying skin, even if only slight. These are sometimes called "corn marks" or "corn spots."

Scarring on a horse usually results in white hairs growing in over the injured area, though occasionally there may be no hair growth over the scar at all.

• Saddle marks may be seen on the back or withers as a patch of white hairs, usually a result of wearing an improperly-fitted saddle for long periods, but also could be related to straightforward long-term saddle wear, unclean saddle blankets and other causes. White marks just forward of the withers may be the result of an ill-fitting horse blanket worn for a long period of time.

A hot brand on a horse.

• A type of deliberate human-created scarring that results in white hair is freeze branding, a method of permanently marking a horse for identification purposes. Some forms of hot branding may also scar lightly enough to leave white hairs rather than bare skin.
  

  

  A freeze brand on a horse's shoulder, a common spot for branding.

• Leg scars left from pin firing or bar firing, in which an injury is blistered with hot iron, can leave dots or lines of white hair in a very distinct pattern. This is usually seen on Thoroughbreds that have raced. This treatment is not commonly practiced, but such markings are still occasionally seen.

• Scars from accidents, as well as old injury sites (such as bowed tendons), can also be used to identify a horse.

[edit] Other identifying features

A tovero horse with blue eyes and "Medicine hat" markings.

Horses can be uniquely identified by more than just markings or brands. A few other physical characteristics sometimes used to distinguish a horse from another are:

• Whorls, colloquially known as "cowlicks": divergent or convergent patches of hair found anywhere on the body but mostly on the head, neck, chest, belly, or just in front of the stifles.
• "Glass" eye, "Moon" eye, "China" eye, "Wall" eye or "Night" eye: A blue eye. Horses with blue eyes are less common than horses with brown eyes, but can see equally well.
• Chestnuts: A callous-like area on the inside of the horse's leg that has a subtle pattern, but one unique to each horse. It has been proposed that chestnuts could be used as a type of "fingerprint" to identify a horse, but the idea has failed to become widespread in practice, probably in part because the chestnut continually grows and sheds, making precise measurement a challenge.
• "Prophet's thumbs," or muscle dimples, are small indentations in the muscle, usually found on the horse's neck.

[edit] Coat Colors with distinctive patterns

Main article: Equine coat color

Some horse coat colors are distinguished by unique patterns. However, even for horses with coat colors that are arranged in a manner unique to each individual horse, these patterns are not called "markings." Some coat colors partially distinguished by unique patterning include:

• Appaloosa or "Leopard": A breed and a horse coat color pattern of small leopard-type spotting.
• Bay: A horse coat color that features "black points" on a red base coat. All bay horses have a black mane, tail and legs (except where overlain by white markings), caused by the presence of the Agouti gene. Most have black hairs along the edges of their ears and on their muzzles, and occasionally will have a slight darkening of the hairs along their backbone.
• Brindle: An extremely rare horse coat color, it features faint vertical striping in a shade slightly diluted from the base coat color. (Not to be confused with the zebra, which is an entirely different species.) Brindling may be associated with chimerism.
• Dun: A horse coat color that features primitive markings: a slightly darker hair shade from the base coat located in a dorsal stripe along the horse's backbone, horizontal striping on the upper legs and sometimes transverse striping across the shoulders. These markings identify a horse as a dun as opposed to a buckskin or a bay.
• Pinto: A horse coat color that is distinguished by one of several possible broad spotting patterns, as opposed to the smaller spots typical of the Appaloosa. Variations include Piebald, Skewbald, Overo, Tobiano, Tovero and Sabino.
• Roan: A horse coat color that features white and dark hairs intermingled together, but the horse has head and legs of the base color with very little white. Roans sometimes have dark areas on their coats similar to Bend-Or spots, called "corn marks".

Birdcatcher

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Birdcatcher (1833–1860), or Irish Birdcatcher, was a good Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire.

Birdcatcher
Birdcatcher with jockey (1858)
Sire	Sir Hercules
Grandsire	Whalebone
Dam	Guiccioli
Damsire	Bob Booty
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1833
Country	Ireland
Colour	Dark Chestnut
Breeder	Mr. Hunt, Ireland[1]
Owner	William Disney
Record	15 starts, 7 wins[2]
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
Last updated on 15 May 2009

Contents [hide] 1 Breeding 2 Description 3 Racing career 4 Race Record 5 The breeding career of Birdcatcher 6 The death of Birdcatcher 7 References

[edit] Breeding

Foaled in 1833 at the Brownstown Stud, in Ireland, Birdcatcher was by the Irish Thoroughbred stallion Sir Hercules, who lost only once at St. Leger in 1829. Birdcatcher's dam, Guiccioli, who had a successful career as a racehorse, foaled the chestnut colt when she was 10. She was also the granddam of another well-known racehorse, Selim, and dam to a full-brother of Birdcatcher, Faugh-a-Ballagh.^[1]

[edit] Description

Birdcatcher was said to have a small, only 15.3 hh, but had an expressive head, a well-arched neck, and nicely sloping shoulder. His back was short and compact, his loin was deep, and his hindquarters were strong and muscular. His forearms and thighs were large and strong, and attached to fine, light legs. He had an elastic stride, that no doubt helped him to win as many races as he did.
Birdcatcher had a large star and narrow blaze, white half-way up to the hock on the left hind. He also had ticking, or white hairs scattered throughout his flanks and at the base of the tail. He passed this trait onto many offspring, including Daniel O'Rourke, so often that the marking became to be called to Birdcatcher ticks. This marking differs from the small white spots known as Birdcatcher spots.

[edit] Racing career

William Disney bought the colt, and raced him once as a 2-year-old before beginning seriously as a three-year-old. The young Thoroughbred raced only at Curragh throughout his career. He broke his maiden at the Madrid Stakes, and then won the Milltown Stakes and fourteen-furlong Peel Stakes, and came second in the ten-furlong Wellington Stakes. His four-year-old career was also quite impressive, with a win in the Kildare and Wellington Stakes (where he walked over the finish line). He finished second after Harkaway in the Northumberland Handicap. In his final race, the Doris Stakes, Birdcatcher was unplaced.
The chestnut colt ended his career with 15 starts and 7 wins, before the horse went on to have a successful breeding career.^[2]

[edit] Race Record

Two-Year-Old

• Paget Stakes at the Curragh, unplaced

Three-Year-Old ~raced exclusively at the Curragh

• Madrid Stakes: won, beating Maria (b.f. by Sir Hercules), Langford (br.c. by Sir Hercules), Quicksilver (b.c. by Memnon), and five other entries
• Miltown Stakes: won, beating Cushneiche (ch.c. by Roller)
• Wellington Stakes: came 2nd, after Maria, beating Whim (gr.f. by Drone), and eight others
• Challenge Stakes: 2nd, after Whim, beating Maria
• November Mulgrave Handicap: 3rd, after winner Water Witch (bl.f. by Sir Hercules) and Blackfoot (b.c. by Young Blacklock), beating Fusileer (ch.c. by The Colonel), Whim, and three other entries
• October Mulgrave Handicap: unplaced, won by Langford followed by Whim

Four-Year-Old ~raced exclusively at the Curragh

• Kildare Stakes: won, beating Thump (b.c. Humphrey Clinker), Aigirio (gr.c. Roller), Quicksilver, and two others
• King's Plate: Croughpatrick (br.c. Blacklock) and five others
• Wellington Stakes: won (walked over)
• April Challenge Stakes: 2nd, after Blackfoot, beat four others
• King's Plate: 2nd to Freney
• King's Plate: 3rd, after winner Harkaway, and Gipsy (bl.f. Sir Hercules)
• September Challenge Stakes: 3rd, after winner Mercury (gr.c. Drone), and Austerlitz (br.c. Napoleon)
• Wellington Stakes: unplaced, won by Harkaway
• Doris Stakes: unplaced, won by Maria

[edit] The breeding career of Birdcatcher

The stallion retired to stud at his place of birth, Brownstown, beginning his breeding career as a five-year-old in 1838. Birdcatcher's first crop of foals did well, and he was moved to Barrow's Paddock in Newmarket for 1846 and 1847, before he was leased for 1848 and 1849 to Easby Abbey in Yorkshire. The stallion then returned home to Brownstown for 1850, and was sent back to England for the 1852 season, and returned home to Ireland for the 1859 season.
Birdcatcher's English offspring did well, and earned him the Champion Sire title for 1852 and 1856. He was among the top sires 15 times during his breeding career. Birdcatcher was the first Irish-bred stallion to sire winners of English classic races, including 7 offspring accounting for 3 St. Leger wins, two One Thousand Guineas wins, and a win at the Derby and the Oaks. Birdcatcher also founded two male lines, one with Oxford, and another with The Baron, from whom most Thoroughbreds descend today.
Birdcatcher sired:

• The Baron: winner of the 1845 St. Leger; very successful sire
• Chanticleer: winner of the Doncaster Cup
• Daniel O'Rourke: Winner of the 1852 Derby
• Songstress: winner of the 1982 Oaks; successful sire
• Bird on the Wing: winner of the Parks Hill Stakes, second to Songstress in the Oaks
• Knight of St. George: winner of the 1854 St. Leger
• Hebena: winner of the 1855 1,000 Guineas
• Manganese: winner of the 1856 1,000 Guineas
• Warlock: winner of the 1856 St. Leger
• Saunterer: winner of the Goodwood Cup
• Lady Trespass: winner of the Park Hill Stakes
• Oxford
• Miss Agnes
• Red Eagle
• Marquis
• Mickey Free
• Foninnualla: dam of Mincepie, who won the Oaks
• Mrs. Ridgway
• Partlet: dam of Jeune Premier, winner of the Prix de Diane
• England's Beauty
• Reine Blanche: dam of Florentin, winner of Prix du Jockey Club
• Ayacanora

[edit] The death of Birdcatcher

Despite his success as a sire Birdcatcher met with an undeserved execution after he was unable to cover a mare.
His death was accounted by Patrick Connolly. "Among the mares sent to the son of Sir Hercules that year was Mr Michael Dunne's Queen Bee. She was a mare of good size, and when Birdcatcher attempted to serve her, he failed to do so. Mr Disney, who owned the stallion, thereupon decided that he should no longer survive. At once a messenger was dispatched to the local police station with orders to bring back with him a constable with a loaded gun, as a horse was required to be destroyed. The police officer - his name was Preston - reported himself to Mr Disney, who gave the necessary directions for the destruction of Birdcatcher. The horse was placed on the brink of a sandpit situated on the flat opposite Conyngham Lodge, Curragh; without any ceremony he was shot and his carcass tumbled into the pit. Thus ended the career of a good racehorse and a mighty sultan at the age of twenty-seven years. His head was afterwards presented to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dublin."

Birdcage

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For the film, see The Birdcage; for the Maserati race car, see Maserati Tipo 61.

Two childs with parrot cage (painting by Georg Friedrich Kersting, ca. 1835)

A cage designed for medium-large parrots, with a playtop.

A birdcage (or bird cage) is a cage designed to house birds as pets.
Antique (or antique-style) birdcages are often popular as collectors' items or as household decor but most are not suitable for housing live birds, being too small, or of unsafe materials or construction. Good quality cages designed for pet birds are more suitable.
In general, the larger and the more active the bird, the larger the cage one should use. The amount of time the bird will spend in the cage each day is also a factor. A bird that is caged most of the time requires far more space than a bird caged only at night. Some birds have special requirements. Amazons and cockatiels prefer horizontal bars, as they like to climb. Messy eaters should have a seed skirt to catch food. Breeding birds may require a nest or breeding box and a larger size cage. Smart birds, like parrots and crows, need secure latching mechanisms to prevent them from figuring them out, and often require toys and/or playstands to keep them entertained. Parrots in general tend to gnaw on cages, with larger macaws known to tear bars from flimsy cages. Zinc coated cages or chicken wire could cause toxicity to parrots over a number of years.
While small cages are relatively cheap, large parrot-sized cages can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The materials used to build the cages has a lot to do with the price level. Most parrot cages are made or wrought iron and painted with a non-toxic paint referred to as powder-coating. However, the newest trend in the market is cages made of solid stainless steel. Large parrot cages made of stainless steel can cost thousands of dollars and will actually outlive a powder-coated cage by 5 to 6 times.

A Galah in a aviary with wide bar spacing.

A cage for a tame pet bird which is allowed out daily should be large enough to allow it to easily extend its wings fully without hitting cage sides or toys or objects within the cage. In some countries, it is illegal to house a pet bird in a cage that does not permit it to spread its wings. Wingspans of common pet birds range from approximately 12" for a budgie and 16" for a cockatiel up to as much as 36-48" for the larger macaws. Untame birds which are not allowed out of their cages regularly, such as most finches and canaries, require larger cages that are long enough to permit some flight. The bars should be spaced so that curious birds cannot stick their heads out of the cage and become stuck. The cage should also be non-toxic paint, because birds tend to gnaw at the cage, and if the paint is consumed, they can die from poisoning.
Cages should also be equipped with appropriate perches. There should be several diameters of perches available, but the diameter should be large enough so that the bird's toes are unable to overlap or completely wrap around the perch. Flight cages and aviaries should be equipped with perches at each end with open space in the middle for flight.

[edit] Bird habitat

[edit] Perch and view needs

An important feature of a birdbath, which should be considered when designing one, is a place to perch. The bath should also be shallow enough to avoid the risk of birds drowning. This requirement may be fulfilled simply by making the bowl or container part shallow enough to allow birds to perch in the water. Another way is to add a number of clean stones inside the bowl to create places on which a bird might stand.^[5]

[edit] Safe refuge needs

Consideration should also be made to the issue of house cats and other predators, by placing the birdbath in a location where the birds can see the area around it, and where there are no hiding places for predators to lurk. Birds cannot fly well when their feathers are wet and heavy, so it's best to allow 2 feet of open space on all sides of the bath, so that the birds can see danger coming with enough time to escape.^[6]
This is one of the reasons birdbaths are customarily placed on pedestals in the middle of a lawn under overhanging limbs of a large tree, to which the birds may fly quickly if threatened. In order to be able to see an approaching predator, birds should be able to see the clearing around it, over the edge of the birdbath as they bathe; therefore, a small diameter birdbath is better. Only very low and open foliage plants should be placed beneath a birdbath, in order to avoid providing a hiding place for a predator.
If the bowl is too deep, some birds will be afraid to enter the bath, staying at the edge and using it for drinking water only, being unable to see beyond the edge if entering the water, or unwilling to enter water that is too deep for their safety.
Those birds that do not have binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a birdbath off-putting if they're unable to judge the water's depth. You can help by leaning a stick or flat rock against the birdbath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water.^[4]

[edit] Plants

Including native plants, and ornamental plants, that supply berries, acorns, nuts, seeds, nectar, and other foods, and also bird nest building materials encourages the health and new generations of birds. These qualities can also increase the visible population to enjoy in a garden. Using companion planting and the birds' insect cuisine habits is a traditional method for pest control in an organic garden, and any landscape.
Taller shrubs and trees nearby allow short and safe "commutes" to the bird bath. The birdbath will attract more birds if placed where a frightened bird can fly up easily to an overhanging limb or resting place if disturbed or attacked.^[7]

[edit] Larger birds

Larger birds, such as the Canada goose, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated well by large agricultural sprinklers in a field of stubble. The sight of several hundred or thousand large geese "playing in the sprinklers" can be a moving experience. Providing such a place for migratory birds, especially in urban and suburban areas devoid of wetlands is an excellent way of encouraging them to frequent an area. As wetlands become more scarce, steps such as these can be important conservation practices.

[edit] Maintenance

A birdbath requires regular maintenance. Maintenance may be as simple as a daily quick wash and refill, but it will depend on the birdbath materials. This is important because of the possible adverse health effects of birds drinking dirty water, or water which may have become fouled with excrement, algae, or fungi. Fresh water is important. Concrete bird baths tend to become mossy and, therefore, slippery—requiring an occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush.^[8]

[edit] Garden design

Birdbaths often are the central feature of an overall plan for a garden setting that includes natural nectar and food plants, shrubs, trees, and feeders. They often are placed where they may be viewed through the windows of a home, school, or office. They also may be placed on a small patio, deck, or terrace which is designed carefully to provide for the safety of the birds by eliminating access by predators. Deck mounted birdbaths are popular for people that do not have much yard space or live in a building with no yard, but do have a balcony or deck. These types of birdbaths can be mounted directly to a deck rail, thereby eliminating any floor space use.

Bird bath

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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)

Photograph of a watchful mockingbird taking a bath in a glass bowl birdbath.

A Birdbath is an artificial "puddle" or small shallow pond, created with a water- filled basin, for birds to bathe and 'cool off' in, and drink from. A Birdbath can be a garden ornament, small reflecting pool, outdoor sculpture, and part of creating a vital wildlife garden.
A birdbath is an attraction for many different species of birds to visit gardens, especially during the summer and drought periods. Birdbaths that provide a reliable source of water year round add to the popularity and "micro-habitat" support.^[1]

Contents [hide] 1 Introduction 2 Design and construction 3 Bird habitat 3.1 Perch and view needs 3.2 Safe refuge needs 3.3 Plants 3.4 Larger birds 4 Maintenance 5 Garden design 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Introduction

Birdbaths can be pre-made basins on pedestals and columns or hang from eaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rocks and boulders. Requirements include: a shallow gradually deepening basin; enough open surroundings to minimize cats' stalking; clean and renewed-refilled water; and cleaning to avoid contamination and mosquitoes. Two inches of water in the center is sufficient for most backyard birds, because they do not submerge their bodies, only dipping their wings to splash water on their backs. Deeper or wide basins can have "perch islands" in the water, which can also help discourage feline predators.^[2] Elevation on a pedestal is a common safety measure, providing a clear area around the birdbath that is free of hiding locations for predators. A bird feeder can complement a bird bath to encourage birds to linger and return.

[edit] Design and construction

Lorikeet-sized birdbath displayed for close viewing inside a children's zoo

The traditional birdbath is made of molded concrete or glazed terra cotta formed in two pieces, the bowl and the pedestal. The bowl has an indentation or socket in the base which allows it to fit over the pedestal. The pedestal is typically about one meter tall. Both bowl and pedestal can be clean or decorated with bas-relief. Bowls can be pure curved geometry, or have motifs of a shell or pseudo-rocky spring. The pedestal can also be a simple silhouette or incorporate decorations. However, birds seem unconcerned with the aesthetics, with even a shallow plate, pie-tin, or puddle below a slowly dripping water outlet used.^[3]

A shallow concrete birdbath

Birdbaths can be made with other types of materials, including glass, metals (i.e.: copper), plastics, mosaic tiles, marble, or any other material that can be outdoors and hold water. In natural landscape gardens rocks and boulders with natural or stonemason carved basins can fit in unobtrusively. Some birdbaths use a recirculating pump as part of a fountain or water feature, and can include filters, a float valve-water connection for automatic refilling, or a drip irrigation emitter aimed into the bowl. Some use a solar powered pump, floating or submerged, to recirculate the water. Birds are attracted to the sight and sound of running water, with integrated or nearby fountains an important element to bring birds to the garden.^[4]