Make a Recirculating Bird Bath

This video is about making your own recirculating bird bath to keep your garden’s feathered friends happy. It is also a way to add an attractive feature in the yard. I guess you could say that it’s about creating a functional and aesthetic spa to comfort overheated birds during the sweltering summer when temperatures easily move the mercury past the 100 degrees mark.
One fountain and two tops will be shown. This recirculating bird-bath fountain is something you can do yourself. I attempt to show every important detail in each step. When watching the video, it is hoped that you see the potential to create your own bird bath, using your style of pot and fountain top. Though I made my own tops, you can purchase your own and make it work for you. I say that because next summer I am going to pick out a blue and white porcelain dragon pot. I will then go in search to find an interesting dragon plate, also known as a charger, to purchase. Then I will turn it into a fountain and use it in the Asian themed area in my yard. I am really excited about it because it allows me to choose what I want to look at, not at what someone else has determined for me.
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Below is a list of materials and tools used on this project so you might do it yourself:
Pot dimensions: Inside top diameter--17 inches, its bottom 12; height – 16 inches. Water capacity: Approximately 10 gallons
Waterproofing paint for untreated terra cotta pot: Drylok water-based, tinted Chinook salmon.
Water pump: Pulaco 10 watt adjustable to 160 gallons per hour. The submersible pump came with ¼ inch tubing and adapter. I used ½ inch adapter it came with and my own ½ inch tubing to get more volume and less pressure to create a bath and not a shower or spout that would be attained using a smaller tubing or hose.
Electric Drill
Drill bits: ¾ masonry for ½ inch PVC pipe installation; 13/64 inch for rubber stopper or cork
Utility Knife to cut rubber stopper
Rubber Stopper: #6 for pot’s 1 inch diameter drainage hole
Caulk: G.E. 100% silicone and 100% water proof
Cinder blocks: 6x8x8 inches
Fountain top: Custom made from mold (Either purchase or make your own of cement or exterior-molded plastic, terra cotta, porcelain, bronze, brass, et cetera...)

And enjoy the natural beauty it attracts!

And this is how I perform maintenance on the bird bath:
Clean when water is less than clear. Start: Unplug pump. Remove topper and two cinder blocks. Use a small bucket (2quarts) to scoop water from pot. Pour small bucket of water into larger bucket (2 gallons or larger). Recycle water by using in garden. Rinse out pot. If inside of pot is dirty, use soft brush and dish soap to clean, otherwise rinse out. Clean out pump suction screen if necessary. Reassemble, fill with clean water, and plug back in.

Links/details below to specific items used:

The terra cotta pot was purchased at Home Depot (dimensions are in the description).
Early High Yield Strength Quikrete Concrete and colorant can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. (The yellow colorant was purchased in powder form on Ebay, the only place I could find it, at that particular time.)
The cement blocks and DryLok (tinted pink salmon) were purchased at a DIY Center. I believe either HD or Lowes will have what you need.

[pershop]

i like it that you show the birds actually using it. so many videos talk about the bird bath building aspect and then ends when putting it together is all done.

[bambamnj]

Two suggestions:
#1) Put a second plug (you would have to drill the hole) near the bottom of the planter but on the side. This way if you have to clean it/clear out the water. You can just pull the plug and let it drain instead of taking the whole thing apart and tipping it over, to drain the water.
#2) For your casting, make the inner circle of your casting drop down about 1/4"-1/2" so you create a little pool in the middle. Then drill 2 to 4 small drain holes, so water will circulate out of the pool (more than just run off). I think your birds will appreciate the small pool in the middle of the casting, the pump should be strong enough were you will still get the fountain and run off look and the drain holes will let water circulate out of the pool to keep it from getting too hot or stagnate.

[HeatherB..]

The nicest diy bird fountain I've seen thus far! Thank you for such a beautiful and simple design!!

[jeremypearson]

That hummingbird is so cool, I could watch this for ages. Good way to fall asleep with the sound of the bubbling water.

[PatriciasPrimerJardin]

This world and birds need more people like you. Beautiful 👏

[Soo_Blessed]

God is so gracious that he's created these beautiful birds for us to enjoy 💗

[susanwoodward]

Magical! Am definitely going to build a couple of these, but worried that I won't get anything else done - just watch the birds all day. Thank you.

[Real_g.s.]

Thank you for adding the bird watching bit at the end. Lovely!

[purplepumpkinMD]

Thank you for the detailed instruction, which includes the important bird bath maintenance information not included in a lot of bird bath diy videos. Very well done!

[c.a.]

Great job, Sir! Thank you for what you have done here, not just for the birds, but for us as well! I just love the fact that you consider the leaching of the concrete and the importance of the value... regarding the ph factor!
Your time, also in reviewing and commenting to so many of your followers, sir, is so time-consuming, and yet, you make the time.!
As such, I learn even more from it! Your care 😇 for nature and the help it provides is a wonderful blessing for us all! Thank you again!🤲 🤗🥰
Ps. You now have a new subscriber, too😉

[BBare.]

Thank you so much for letting us see the birds! That was very beautiful! 💙🐰💙

[patricebennett]

Could have watched those birds all day. Gorgeous. 🥰🇦🇺

[mini-mum]

I love how you let us enjoy the bathing birdies! And the b-bath is magical, well done!

[pennygreenler]

just saw your Asian recirculating birdbath and now I have two bird baths to make...so excited to make this. Directions are very clear and manageable.Thanks!!

[johnwitkowski]

Beautiful Tom. What a pleasure to just sit in your garden and watch those cute little guys enjoying themselves.
And great instructional video too.

[digsindirt]

I love this. The sunflower is beautiful and the grooves provide the perfect place for smaller birds to stand and bathe. Thank you for sharing.

[beyourownforceofnature]

☀️🍃”This is what life is all about!”💛🌻💚

[madisondameron]

What a sweet and intelligent man. This was very informative, thank you.

[tonysopranosduck]

Thank you for this concise and to the point instruction. . That method of yours to using a stopper and feeding the cord out through the bottom is the best I’ve seen as I can then fill up the water to any level without worrying about run off through a side hole. Thanks so much! I’m looking at constructing a couple of these in my yard so I can see from a few windows. Then likely making these as gifts to spread some critter care lovin 😊

[wolfsangeleyes]

So sweet and beautiful what you made for our feathered friends. The footage at the end was a very nice bonus, they sure love it.