DIY A Bubbler Birdbath For Your Garden With This No-Drill Hack

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Adding just about any sort of birdbath will get birds flocking to your yard, and if you'd like even more to show up, providing a moving-water feature within that bath is the secret. In fact, numerous species are drawn to the sight and sound of clean, moving water. A bubbler-style fountain, which has water bubbling up just above the surface of the calm surrounding water, is one type that attracts all sorts of birds because it's fairly calm yet still moving, perhaps reminiscent of a bubbling spring or a gentle stream. Elaborate, store-bought bubblers featuring water coming through a stone, concrete, or a stack of stones could cost quite a bit, and even DIY versions can be pretty involved, drilling through clay, ceramic, or stone. Thankfully, there's an easy no-drill version that creates a simple and customizable birdbath, and the birds'll love it just the same. Essentially, you're setting the pump inside the bath itself rather than in a bucket underneath, and covering it with rocks or bricks.

Your homemade birdbath bubbler can be made using an outdoor-rated electric fountain pump such as the Domica mini submersible water pump, provided you have a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet near your selected birdbath location. A solar option such as the Biling solar fountain pump is a nice choice when there isn't an outlet handy, or you want a stand-alone power source. Make sure the solar pump you choose has a solar panel attached by a cord, freeing you to think twice about having your birdbath in direct sun. This allows you to move the bath into the shade as needed, while the panel gets full sunlight. What you use for the bath itself can be as unique as you are.

Part of the fun with this no-drill project is that the design is flexible, based on what you have on hand. For the basin, use a somewhat wide, flat-bottomed vessel such as a large plant saucer designed to catch water overflow from plant pots. The vessel needs to be deeper than the top of the pump so it doesn't run dry, but not so deep you can't create perches for the birds with a few large cobbles. A matching plant stand that fits the saucer creates a pedestal, though some birds enjoy ground-level birdbaths. 

Set the fountain pump in the center of the saucer, then stack flat river rocks or broken bricks or flagstone around it. The goal is to stack stones around the pump's discharge tube and cord, hiding them, while allowing the water to circulate. The top part should offer a flat or slightly indented area where birds can bathe in extremely shallow water.

Fill the vessel with water, then test the pump. If it came with nozzle attachments, choose one that looks like a funnel, as it'll create a nice blob of water instead of shooting a thin spray upwards. Position rocks so they help direct the mini-fountain back on itself. You can customize the design however you like. Make the bubbler taller by adding a tube to extend the flow of water, then stack more stones around it. Create outcroppings and perches in various layers where smaller birds or even insects can grab a sip of water. You can even add moss and branches for texture. Clean your DIY birdbath every couple of days to prevent algae and crud building up, as such things could be harmful to the birds or might partially plug the pump.