Quick Summary
Count on the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath to give your birds drinking water in the coldest weather without using too much power. The red cedar stand looks good almost anywhere but you’ll have to spend a bit of time putting it together.
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Conclusion:
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath keeps liquid water available even when temperatures get low, but its best selling point is the beautiful and rustic real wood stand.
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Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath Review
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath is an beautiful rustic alternative to the usual cement or plastic resin bird baths.
The striking Western Red Cedar stand fits in with virtually any setting, blends well in the garden and would be a lovely complement to a wood deck or gazebo.
Having the power cord neatly hidden inside the pedestal underlines the rustic look, and the wide rim around the basin has room for lots of birds to gather.
A smallish basin is one feature we didn’t like about the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath. It’s only 14 inches wide and about 1.4 inches deep, less at the center due to the heating element.
Smaller birds will be able to bathe comfortably, but it’s too small for some of the birds that visit bird baths to do anything but drink.
It also doesn’t hold much water, so in very dry or windy weather you’ll need to replenish the basin at least daily.
Don't miss: All your heated bird bath questions answered
Who is this product for?
If you’re handy with tools and enjoy a little project now and then, The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath will give you some hands-on satisfaction without presenting a huge challenge.
But if your winters often get below -10ºF (-23ºC), it’s possible this low-powered heater may not be able to keep up, and since it doesn't hold much water you'll have to fill it at least daily.
What's included
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath comes as a complete kit:
- heated basin with power cord
- all the required pre-cut wood pieces
- all the hardware
- assembly instructions
- 2 U-shaped metal stakes to anchor the stand to the ground
Overview of Features
The most outstanding feature of the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath is the gorgeous red cedar stand.
Just rustic enough to look handmade, its natural look blends with most yards and decks and provides plenty of room for birds.
Unfortunately, it requires assembly, and lots of it. It’ll probably take an hour (more or less) to get it all put together.
You don’t need to be a master woodworker to assemble the stand, but it does help to be reasonably handy with an electric screwdriver.
A few people who purchased the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath thought the assembly instructions could be better, but most say it’s not too hard to assemble.
Preserving the wood
After doing all that work to assemble the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath, you’ll probably want to make sure its beauty is long-lasting.
Raw cedar weathers fast, so we recommend applying a non-toxic eco-friendly sealant to preserve the beauty of the wood.
Advice from a Pro: The late Izzy Swan, a master woodworker and YouTuber, recommended using a 70/30 mixture of Helmsman Spar Urethane and Teak Oil for a good-looking weather resistant finish.
Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath specifications
The actual heated bird bath is made of heavy-duty plastic with a heating element sealed between them. The presence of the heater makes the middle of the basin shallower than the edges.
The basin only holds a half-gallon (two litres) of water, and since moisture evaporates fast in dry or windy winter weather, you’ll need to top it up daily or more often.
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath heater uses 60 watts of power and is controlled by an internal thermostat that turns the heater on when temperatures drop below 35º F (2º C).
The short power cord and extension can be hidden inside the pedestal but may disconnect when you remove the basin for cleaning. A safety seal would help prevent this. (I tie the two cords in a simple slip knot before connecting them.)
When assembled, the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath stands 29 inches high and 22 inches wide.
Its 4 legs make it quite stable, but the kit includes two U-shaped anchors to ensure it doesn’t fall over.
How to use the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath requires more effort to set up than other heated bird baths, but the finished appearance is much nicer than most.
- Take the bird bath kit out of the package and locate the instructions.
- Check to make sure you received all the wood pieces and all the hardware you’ll need.
- Connect the bird bath basin to your (unplugged) outdoor extension cord.
- Secure the connection so it doesn’t come apart when you move the basin for cleaning.
- Put the cord and basin aside.
- Assemble the pedestal stand according to directions and seal the wood so the color doesn’t fade.
- Feed the power cord through the pedestal and put the basin in place.
- Put the bird bath in position and fill it with water.
- Plug the extension cord into an outdoor GFCI outlet.
What people who own the Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath say
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Alternative to this product
API 400 12-inch Diameter Heated Bird Bath with Stand
This heated bird bath has a basin about the same size, uses a little bit less power (50 watts) and gets good reviews for performance. It’s much less expensive than the product reviewed here, but the stand is not nearly as attractive and doesn’t conceal the power cord at all.
Conclusion
The Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath keeps liquid water available even when temperatures get low, but the real selling point is the beautiful and rustic real wood stand, which you'll need to spend an hour or so assembling.
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