Whether you are a bird lover or just someone who likes to appreciate nature in your backyard or garden, a bird bath is an excellent addition to your outdoor décor. Being in the backyard and just watching birds flying around is a great way to unwind and relax. A bird bath is an excellent addition to your garden accessories and will encourage birds of all types to inhabit your yard.

Today, solar bird baths are a popular option as they are almost maintenance-free. As opposed to regular electric bird baths, solar bird baths use solar energy to run the pump that drives the fountain. You simply place the bird bath in a sunny spot in your garden and fill it with water. The fountain will get activated, and as long as there is full sunlight, the spray should run continuously. And the birds love it!

#1 Best Overall – Solar Bird Bath

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​This product is a pedestal-mounted bird bath which can withstand extreme climate. It adds a decorative touch to your garden due to the ornate, antique and Verdigris finish. Although made of plastic, the finish is cleverly designed to give a weathered and aged look, further enhanced by the elegant flowery engravings. This finish imparts an overall look that is pleasing to the eye and which makes the bird bath blend nicely into the surroundings.

This bird bath is lightweight, yet robust and easy to move around, in case you need to move it to locations where the sunlight is at its maximum (the position of the sun tends to shift as from one month to the next). Assembly is easy, and it is also simple to maintain – if you rinse it and give it a good wipe on a weekly basis, it should suffice quite nicely.

To assemble the product, you just need to drive the three ground stakes into the soft soil and fill the base with sand or gravel to weight down the bird bath and keep it stable. Once done, fill it with water, just enough for the average bird to get half-immersed in water – about 3 liters of water should suffice.

Technical Specifications:

Technical Specifications:

• check​Overall Dimensions: 20″(Diameter) x 28.25“(H)
• check​Bowl Dimensions: 20” (Diameter) x 3″ (depth)
• checkBase Dimensions: 14.5” (Diameter)
• check​Product Weight: 4.4 lbs
• check​Water capacity: 0.8 gallons (3.03 liters)
• check​Material: Weather and frost resistant resin
• check​Color: Green

#1 Best Overall – Solar Fountain Pump

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We felt that this is among the best and most reliable pumps for solar bird baths. With the whole world focusing on environmental-friendly products, this pump is a perfect match. It runs automatically – you just need to place it in direct sunlight. A brushless motor is used to power the pump, which reduces the wear and tear on mechanical parts. The pump has an instant start-up and is quite strong, delivering a steady stream of water through the fountainhead.

Installation of the Ankway solar bird bath fountain pump is easy. You just have to immerse it in the bird bath, ensuring that you expose the solar panels to direct sunlight at all times. The fountain will get activated almost immediately. Since the fountain pump floats on water, there are no fasteners, screws, or ties required; it is quite simple to set up.

Most customers who used this product just loved it, primarily because it is almost maintenance-free. Customers wrote in their reviews that the pump worked flawlessly in direct sunlight. The sound of trickling water is soothing to the ears. Since birds get attracted to moving water, they reported to their delight that it drew birds of all shapes and sizes to the solar bird bath.

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One drawback reported was that the pump tends to move around and starts throwing water out and that the suction cups on the base of the pump don’t work very well in fixing it to the base of the bird bath. You can solve this problem by attaching the pump to be the bottom of the bird bath using waterproof glue.

Another issue that came to light was from users who get hard water in their water supply. The hard water resulted in scaling and clogging up the mechanical parts. However, you can use water softener chemicals to solve this problem.

Other than these minor issues this solar bird bath pump seems to have been quite a hit and worth trying out.

Technical Specifications:

• check​Material Type: Plastic 
• check​Package Height: 2.09 x 6.61 x 6.81 inches
• check​Shipping Weight: 0.54 pounds
• check​Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.3 x 2.2 inches
• check​Item Weight: 6.7 ounces
• check​Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces

​Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Bird Baths

The benefits of using solar bird baths outweigh the disadvantages. The main drawback is the requirement of direct sunlight for these bird baths. If even the slightest shadow falls across the solar bird bath, the fountain stops. However, if you are OK to have the spray just run for a short while every day, then that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

The advantages, however, are many – you save on electricity, the operation is silent, and you don’t need to do any complicated wiring as solar bird baths are entirely self-contained. They are also almost maintenance-free, I say almost, as a bit of cleaning and necessary maintenance is required from time to time. And setting up a solar bird bath is the easiest thing to do.

For those who are new to this concept, we bring you a few useful tips on where to find the product, what is a suitable one, and the best way to set it up.

Ordering your Solar Bird Bath

A solar bird bath is a combination of a solar pump and a bird bath. You can buy the product with both components integrated as one. However, we would advise you to buy them separately, which takes care of any maintenance issues with the pump at a later date. Because the pump part of the solar bird bath has electrical components you need to get the pump fixed, but you don’t need to remove the bird bath from its location. The birds will still be attracted to the water, even if the pump is out of action for a while.

If you go online, you will find several brands of pumps and bird baths available. We will help you choose a set that is most suitable for your needs. It is always a good thing to check out the technical specifications of the products before ordering them. Reading customer reviews is also a good option.

Requirements of a Good Solar Bird Bath 

A suitable solar bird bath should have at least the following features:

• 1​Easy to install
• 2​Should be weatherproof
• 3​Adjustable water flow in the fountain
• 4​Simple to clean and maintain
• 5​Able to blend into the surroundings

​Reasonably-priced Solar Pump and Bird Bath

After a great deal of looking around, we found a couple of products, a solar pump and bird bath which you would probably like to have in your garden:

​Taking Care of you Solar Bird Bath

​Once you have bought your Solar Bird Bath and installed it in your garden, you will probably like to know a bit about how to maintain it, to give it a longer life. Here are a few pointers:

• ​Clean the Pump Regularly: The water in the bird bath tends to get contaminated with bird droppings and organic debris which can clog the pump. These pumps usually have a filter which you can clean by aiming a jet of water on it. If the filter is heavily clogged, you can use dilute liquid bleach (9 parts water to 1-part bleach). The housing also needs to be cleaned which you can do using a soft toothbrush.
• ​Maintain Clean Water: The key to keeping the pump clear of debris and the water hygienic for the birds is not to allow contamination to develop too much in the first place. At least once a week (you can make it a Sunday job!) empty the bird bath and give it a good scrub with a brush and soapy water, ensuring that it is entirely dry before you refill it.
• ​Keep the Water Level Above Minimum: If the water level reduces too much, it can exert an undue strain on the pump motor, which will reduce its life.
• caret-right​Protect the Solar Bird Bath from Extreme Weather: During stormy weather or snow, it would be advisable to either remove the bird bath from the garden or cover it with a tarpaulin.
• caret-right​Place your Solar Bird Bath in a Strategic Location: Once everything is in place, you need to sit back and enjoy the show. Place the bird bath in a pleasant, sunny corner of the garden where you know that birds will come flocking so that the water flows well and everyone can join the party!

​Now that you have read all about solar bird baths, where to get them, how to choose them and how to maintain them, you are all set to get your very own backyard entertainment package. We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and that it helps you in pursuing your passion. Please do reach out to us with your valuable feedback and comments and we will be glad to respond. Happy bird watching!