I read somewhere that birds don’t like baths with a smooth inner surface (like glazed ceramic). They like something that they can grip with their claws (like terracota, concrete). I don’t know if this is true.

Thx. Good points. Have tried most everything—including making a little pondy waterfall—very shallow running water with wet rock around it. But I think the issue might be there is not enough ‘cover’ close by, although there are 50 foot tall pines within 30 feet and 8 foot yews around the waterfall. I guess that is not enough. I bought a heated dog bowl and put gravel and rocks in it and no birdies in that either. I wonder where they are getting their water....thx again.

I wonder if it is even true that birds like birdbaths at all!

You're correct that you need more cover. The bath will be used more often if it sits near shrubs, small trees, or under a large tree and having a feeder nearby will help draw the birds in.

It's possible the yews you have may not be open-branched enough for the birds to perch on easily. If you have cats don't place the bath too close to the shrubs since it gives the cats a place to pounce from.

We use concrete baths with a gentle slope but also have a shallow, flat bath that is glazed. The one that sits on the ground has a rough, sandy texture to it. If you have a bath bowl that is too deep, place something decorative in the center for the birds to land on, or you can even use a brick.

The birds that visit us love bathing in the baths all thru the winter, even when it's snowing. Sometimes they splash out so much water we have to refill it during the day. All our bath are heated thru the winter.

The easiest way is to place a basin with heated water and replace it each time you notice any formation of ice.

On the other hand, if you don’t mind spending a few bucks on heaters, you can find one in hardware stores, bird feeder stores, or any electrical supply shops. Some birdbaths have built-in heaters but you can also purchase the heater separately. Just make sure to install it properly and plug it in a fault circuit interrupter to deter electric shock.