Yellow-Billed Duck

Scientific name Anas undulata Afrikaans name Geelbekeend

- Koos Pieters

Birds are generally more hygienically-minded than we may think. Hence, like most other people who have a passion for birds, I have a bird bath in my garden. In fact I have two: a bigger one on a stand, and a smaller bird bath on the ground. Many birds are plagued by mites and other parasites, and in order to take care of everyday hygiene, they have to take a regular bath. You can help them by providing a bird bath in your garden for the many bird species that are attracted in large numbers to cities and towns. In my early days of bird watching, I read somewhere that one should position a bird bath in such a way that birds will not feel threatened or exposed, and that it should be close to a tree or some form of perch which will enable the bird to scan the environment before taking the plunge. This makes a lot of sense − most birds, when they bath, can get so carried away in the process of splashing around in the water that they make themselves pretty vulnerable to predation by dangerous creatures like your neighbour’s cat. Also, bear in mind that when all their feathers are wet, they carry a fair amount of extra weight, which can cause problems when a sudden evacuation from the bird-bath area is necessary to escape danger. So, the tree or the perch close to the bath will provide a safe spot