Question on birdbaths from a grazier

["Hilary Richrod" <>]

When I've had drowning deaths here with birds, it's not because they 
can't grip the edge, but because they misjudge the depth of the water. 
That's where the stick comes in, when they realize their feet aren't 
touching bottom, they normally have enough flight to get to a stick 
across a pool. Young/juvenile birds are particularly prone to drowning, 
since they have little experience with water & pools. Most of "natural" 
experience suggests either a very shallow depression filled with water, 
or a pool with an edge that can be manuvered into bit by bit, unlike a 
tub with abrupt sides.
  Crows here actually stick their beaks or feet in the water, to try to 
judge how deep it is before edging themselves in. If the pool has a 
dark underlay, the reflection looking into it seems to make it 
particularly hard to judge. In many cases (though not with crows here) 
the eyes are not arranged for depth perspective, like two forward - 
looking eyes. ~~ Hilary