How to Make Water Drippers for Birdbaths

You can hike your birdbath’s attractiveness another notch with the sound and sight of moving water. The simplest way to do this is with a dripper.

Birds cue into a water source by sound as well as by sight, and dripping water is completely irresistible to a thirsty bird.

The simplest dripper can be made with a gallon plastic milk jug. Punch a very small hole in the bottom and one near the top to vent air. Hang the jug from a pole or a shepherd’s crook (used to hang bird feeders) a few feet above your bath.

The water should last a day or so before needing to be refilled. If you find that the jug is collapsing, you’ll need to make a larger vent hole in the top.

If you prefer a more permanent setup, there are some good drippers on the market. They have a generous length (usually 50 feet/15m) of miniature plastic tubing that you can connect directly to one of your outside spigots. Some models have a pedestal that sits in the bath to support the dripper tubing, but if the one you buy doesn’t, just use a staked support to hold the tubing up over the side wall of the birdbath.

A small petcock, or valve, on the side of the support controls the drip rate. Add a two-way adapter to the spigot if you plan to use a garden hose, so you’ll be unhampered by the dripper’s operation.

Read more: Nature, Nature & Wildlife

Adapted from Natural Gardening for Birds by Julie Zickefoose and the Editors and Writers of Bird Watcher's Digest. Copyright (c) 2001 by Bird Watcher's Digest. Reprinted by permission of Rodale Press.
Adapted from Natural Gardening for Birds by Julie Zickefoose and the Editors and Writers of Bird Watcher's Digest.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Donna H.

2:52AM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Thanks for the info.

send a green star

Lu Ann P.

3:11PM PST on Nov 9, 2011

We'll have to try the jug idea, it sounds great! Thanks

Jon H.

1:44PM PST on Nov 9, 2011

I usually do rain water this way

1:43PM PST on Nov 9, 2011

This is a great idea. I would add two things to the project.
#1 I would have an over flow float shut off or
#2 I would have a runoff barrel to catch excess water for future use. A fountain can be used since all fountains have an adjustment knob for flow rate usually on the bottom of the pump. You can make your water trickle or you can increase to a heaver flow.

Michele W.

9:25AM PDT on Aug 1, 2011

Thank you

janine k.

7:14AM PDT on Apr 22, 2011

I think that is a nice idea! The milk container should be covered by something pretty like a pretty rounded object surrounding it. Something like a party fixture.

Bon L.

4:32AM PST on Dec 30, 2010

Loretta K.

12:14PM PST on Dec 17, 2010

thanks

Ellinor S.

4:35AM PDT on Apr 5, 2010

I want to have a garden to someday.

rosemary w.

8:54PM PDT on May 2, 2009

i like this idea..another project to work out.