Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of two birdbaths, situated at different distances from cover, and a garden pond was recorded over a 12-month period.Thirty species used the birdbaths but only eleven used the pond, which received only 2% of the total visits recorded.There were seasonal differences in the number of species and number of visits to the birdbaths, and most species showed a marked preference for the birdbath closest to cover.There were significant differences among species in the use of birdbaths for drinking and for bathing, and this also varied seasonally for some species. Differences in use of birdbaths during the day were also observed. Group bathing and mixed bathing were often recorded, while dew-bathing was also observed during summer months. We recommend that a simple pedestal birdbath, situated close to cover, provides the best drinking and bathing environment for a variety of bird species.here is currently considerable interest in gardens as habitats for birds and in the role of gardens in the conservation of some species, while an estimated £150В­180 million is spent annually on attracting birds and feeding them in gardens (Cannon 1999, 2000; Mason 2000; Glue 2005). It is estimated that gardens cover some 500,000 ha of England and Wales, and sufficient data exist from surveys in gardens in the UK to construct seasonal and annual population trends (Cannon et al. 2005). There are many books concerning wildlife gardening, the majority including substantial information on birds (e.g. Baines 1985, 2000, Gibbons & Gibbons 1988, Moss & Cottridge 1998, Burton