How to Turn a Birdbath into a Fountain

Birdbaths make beautiful accents for any garden, creating a focal point and drawing in wildlife. Birds aren't the only creatures that enjoy them - you'll also see squirrels, butterflies and other small creatures drinking and bathing in the water. Animals prefer fresh water, though - and keeping the water circulating will decrease the growth of algae in the birdbath. Solar birdbath fountains are a natural choice, but if you've already got a birdbath, here's an easy way to turn it into a fountain with a simple, inexpensive fountain pump and spout. Important note: in order for this project to work, your birdbath basin must be deep enough to keep the pump covered with water at all times.

The first thing you'll need is an outdoor electric outlet. We don't recommend running outdoor extension cords to any outdoor water feature - they're meant for temporary use only. You can either hire an electrician to do it for you, or, if you have some experience with wiring, you can do it yourself. Check out this tutorial from Readers Digest Living for assistance.

Similar to the process for creating you own tabletop fountain, which we told you about a couple of weeks ago, you can use a bamboo fountain spout to circulate water and add interest to the birdbath. Choose the kind that has arms that rest on top of the birdbath (pictured above) to avoid taking up too much room inside. Don't use the rocker/deer scarer type for this project - other animals are frightened by them as well. KineticFountains.com has a wide variety of bamboo fountain spout kits that come complete with pumps, so you'll only need to make one purchase.

'Dripper' style fountains are also a good option for birdbaths. They keep a light, rain-like stream of water flowing into the basin that will create a pleasant sound. The flame-treated copper Dragonfly Dripper Fountain pictured right has a soapstone base and comes with a pump. Also available: the Butterfly Dripper Fountain.

Once you've chosen which type of fountain spout you'd like to use, all you have to do is place the pump and fountain in the birdbath basin and plug it in - it's as easy as that! Check on the water level daily to make sure the pump is completely covered.

Check back with us frequently - KineticFountains.com is working on getting some solar fountain pumps that can be used for these purposes, and we'll let you know as soon as they're available!