Offering water to the birds is a small act of kindness that is as good for us as it is for them. One of the many benefits of having water features in your yard is that they bring the birds out of the treetops. Seeing warblers and other migrants at eye level is intimate and engaging.Â
The birds drop down to check out the water and often take a drink and bathe. Each species has a slightly different approach to bathing. Some birds, like the vireos, tend to fly down, bounce off the surface of the water, and quickly fly up to a perch. They seem to be afraid of potential predators in or near the water. Most birds stand in shallow water and rapidly flap their wings to spray water throughout their feathers. They bathe to clean their feathers so they can fly efficiently. They preen after bathing to finish cleaning their feathers and zip up the barbs or little hooks that hold their feathers together.
I look forward to the arrival of white-throated sparrows every fall. They are vigorous bathers. They seem to relish the water, become one with it. Their bodies blur as water fills the air and the spaces between their feathers. When they finish bathing, they fly up to a perch and shake, preen, and occasionally fall asleep. This is one of my favorite things to observe. I like knowing that they feel comfortable enough to rest. They seem so peaceful when sleeping; their constant vigilance is moderated for a moment.Â
Once a few birds commit to bathing, they often draw a crowd. Birds feel safer when they’re in a flock. There are occasions when it is like an airport, and the birds are stacked up, waiting their turn. Bigger birds like robins, catbirds, thrashers, and cardinals often occupy the best locations in the water, while the smaller birds wait their turn.Â
We have a variety of bird baths, including a small bowl on top of a standing log, a shallow basin sitting on the ground, and a small pond with a waterfall. The pond is the preferred water source for most birds, but all of our water features get used at different times.
The sound of running water is very attractive to birds. It draws them in to take a closer look. When they come in, they tend to be tentative. They often fly back and forth, gradually getting closer to the water. Right before committing, they perch just above the water and stare into it. I imagine them scanning for predators, but who knows what they’re thinking?
It is easy to miss birds at bird baths. They come and go so quickly. If you sit and watch, you will see they come in waves. One minute, they are there; the next, they are gone. Sitting nearby and watching is very rewarding. I wait for dappled light to fall across the water in mid-morning, and I put on my camo and sit and wait.Â

Last year, in late September, I was sitting by the pond when two Tennessee warblers appeared. They were clearly connected. They perched within inches of each other in the cherry tree and hopped down to the lower branches to take a closer look. They both dropped down and perched next to the water, and after about 30 seconds, one of them committed and started bathing. The other one continued to fly around a bit before landing next to the warbler in the water; at that point, they both started bathing side-by-side. Their bodies were touching as they fluttered around each other.Â
One year later, almost to the day, a similar thing happened when two Tennessee warblers came into the pond, but this time, a chestnut-sided warbler joined the group, and they did the same thing. Three tiny warblers were fluttering around each other in the water. At one point, the chestnut-sided warbler walked over the backs of the two Tennessee warblers.
When they finished bathing, they left the pond and flew up into our peach tree, where they chased each other through the canopy at remarkable speed. It is amazing that such tiny, fast-moving beings can stay connected over great distances. They have something to teach us.
As I watched the warblers bathe together, I thought about the value of connection for birds and people. Somehow, these warblers who are on an improbable journey find each other and look out for each other. Did they leave their breeding grounds together in the northern United States or Canada? Did they meet in the night sky during migration, brought together by their contact calls?Â
I have begun to make contact calls of my own. I am introverted by nature, and I’ve always told myself a story about how I was okay with being by myself much of the time. The trouble is, my nervous system disagrees. Lately, I have come to see that I need connection and relationships with friends as much as anyone else. I am learning from the birds, and I have invited six of my closest male friends to come to my house for a gathering of extraordinary gentlemen. We are going to have monthly dinners where we come together under the night sky to connect, share stories, and just be with each other. We are going to make it clear that we will look out for each other and that acknowledging our need for connection is a way for us to meet our basic human needs and merge with the reciprocity that runs through all of life.Â
The difference between us and the birds is that collectively, we are lost, while the birds know exactly who they are and where they’re going. We have lost our ability to navigate through a dense fog of algorithms that are woven together by misguided incentives. We can emerge from the fog, put our trust in each other, and become at ease with ourselves if we make an effort to extend kindness at every turn. This will make our great collective loneliness fade into the background.Â
Birds are simultaneously delicate and resilient, just like us. We are on the same journey, and neither of us knows what tomorrow may bring. The best way for all of us to thrive is to become part of a flock where we can take refuge in our collective wisdom, vigilance, and care. The world can be cruel, and kindness can be a lifeline for those in need. Aren’t we all in need of a little more kindness?
Let’s love each other.
let’s cherish each other, my friend.
before we lose each other.
You’ll long for me when I’m gone.
You’ll make a truce with me.
So why put me on trial while I’m alive?
Why adore the dead but battle the living?
You’ll kiss the headstone of my grave.
Look, I’m lying here still as a corpse,
dead as a stone. Kiss my face instead!
Rumi
Resources
To learn more about the loneliness epidemic, see Rich Roll’s podcast with the Surgeon General. https://www.richroll.com/podcast/surgeon-general-783/
Kristin Ohlson’s book Sweet in Tooth and Claw. Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World is a good overview of how the world runs on mutualism. Â
Great post! We need more men and women to talk to each other and shake free of whatever isolates them. May your gathering be the first of many!
And of course, Great pictures and narrative! Love the details in the differences of how birds chose to bathe.
Oh my, Bill. This one's a gift.
Bravo for the lessons you've extracted from watching the interactions of birds and bravo for sharing some of those slow-won lessons with us. Your most observant photographs are a wonder. Loved the Tennessee warblers bathing side-by side and that ecstatic cardinal... Be still my heart.