Simple Inexpensive Birdbath

Last Updated on August 12, 2021 by Nancie

I recently bought this simple inexpensive Erva birdbath. Its thick metal wire frame is easy to stick into the ground. A shallow plastic dish insert fits on top. The birdbath is easy to set up, easy to move as needed, low priced and you can even turn it into a heated birdbath for winter months.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Switching From a Simple DIY Ground Birdbath

I use a variety of birdbaths in my yard. Some I’ve purchased and some are homemade. I’ve been using a simple plastic saucer on the ground as a birdbath in a bed in my front yard for years. It works fine and is popular with a variety of birds. I did find I needed to surround it with a thick pine cone barrier to keep neighborhood cats from laying in wait for birds coming to the birdbath. Being on the ground, it does also tend to collect leaves and so need cleaning more frequently. But it is very cheap and easy.

But this year I decided to change things up. A bush at one end of the bed had died back a bit, leaving an empty space that looked odd. My husband suggested filling the space with a birdbath and who can argue with that?

Birdbath Choices

I did consider getting another Studio M birdbath like the one I use in our backyard which I absolutely love. It is a wonderful birdbath. It is sturdy, relatively easy to set up and super easy to refill and keep clean. But as much as I love it, I couldn’t settle on a design I liked for this particular spot at the front of the house. These birdbaths also sell for $200 and price was a consideration.

So I headed to my local bird store. Their spring birdbath selection was great and also on sale. I especially loved two gorgeous granite birdbaths. But while granite is pretty and you can even use it in the winter, these were each several hundred dollars and heavy. Sigh.

Simple & Inexpensive Erva Wire Frame Birdbath

So I kept it simple and stuck with my original plan and instead spent about $30 (on sale). Instead of a traditional birdbath, I purchased an Erva Wire Frame Birdbath with a plastic dish insert. The whole thing is made in the USA and the plastic insert is BPA free and non toxic. It holds three quarts of water at a depth of 1 1/2”.

On Erva’s retail website: “Wire Frame for our 14″ dishes (sold separately. Stands 30″ tall. Made with 3/8″ wire for maximum stability. Also accepts and supports our popular heated dish insert.” At the time I write this, the frame is $29.99 on their website and the insert is $15.99. My local store’s prices were lower even without the sale, so if you have a local bird store, check with them to see if they sell it. Still, even at these prices, it is a relatively inexpensive birdbath.

Note: Erva also has a slightly fancier but similar bird bath pole with a wider metal circlet that holds a slightly bigger (17″) included dish insert. It is currently listed as $59.99. You can optionally swap in a 17″ heated dish insert (sold separately) to make it a heated bath. This too is a relatively inexpensive option compared to some other birdbaths.

Using Erva’s Birdbath Dish Inserts

I have used Erva’s birdbath inserts before in a deck mounted birdbath that hangs off my front porch railing. The inserts are lightweight, making them very easy to lift out when you need to dump the water, yet they stay in place. They clean up easily with a quick scrub using a birdbath brush. In late fall when temperatures drop, you can swap out the simple dish with a plug-in heated dish insert (sold separately), making it a very versatile, yet inexpensive birdbath option. (Note: You could also use these on the ground like I was doing with plastic saucers or they sell short metal supports for using as a ground birdbath or feeder.)

Setting up Erva’s Wire Frame Birdbath is Simple

When I got this birdbath home, it took me about thirty seconds to set it up. You just stick the spike at the bottom in the ground, put the plastic dish on top and you are done. It is lightweight and with just one pole holding it, it may sway a bit when a larger bird lands on it where a heavy concrete or granite birdbath would not. But I’ve watched bigger birds like Blue Jays land boldly on it and drink from it. No worries.

I do sometimes get other critters drinking out of various birdbaths and they have at times knocked a birdbath over or knocked the dish askew. But after seven months using this birdbath, this has only happened once.

Keeping This Birdbath Straight

Update: After using this birdbath for a year, I am still happy with it. My only issue (and it is a minor issue) is keeping the birdbath straight. My yard has sandy soil, which means every pole put into it tends to list to one side and this birdbath is no exception.

So at first, I need to straighten it just a little each time I filled it, but it wasn’t a big deal. Even during times when the birdbath sat a bit crooked and the water pooled to one side, the birds just moved over to the side with water. But eventually, I found two medium-sized rocks (each about 5″ across) and nestled them on either side of the pole’s base. Problem solved.

Nancie

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