Expert: Roger Lederer - 9/17/2008

Question
I have two bird baths.  They are about 20 feet from each other  and the same distance from the feeders.

One is a plain open basin that the birds use.  The other has a small hidden pump that circulates the water and also a small basin.  it has tall bamboo grass that that reaches about two feet above the bath. The water flow is fairly qentle.

i though that because of the more natural look of the one with the grass and the gently running water would be the popular one but this is not the case.  Any ideas on this ?  

Answer
Well, I can't give you a definitive answer because there are other factors that could enter into their choice - such as access from other habitats (might give birds hiding places on their way to water), the direction of the sun (shining on the water or not), the heat of the water (running water may be cooler), etc. Dripping water is usually quite effective in attracting birds but not so much running water. The tall bamboo grass above the bath might be intimidating - birds don't like to have anything above them that predators could hide in or perch on. Those are my speculations.