Our Guide to the Best Bird Baths Under $50

A 20 inch wide, shallow polyresin basin on a 27.5 inch pole, with a cordless solar fountain that starts in direct sun and eases off under cloud. Stabilizer arms hold the pump at the bowl center so spray lands back in the bath, four spray heads vary the pattern, and three ground stakes anchor the base. The hollow pole fills with rocks or sand for extra weight, and the bowl twists off for cleaning.

Against the plain Alpine baths, the moving water is what birds notice from a distance, and the 20 inch basin gives robins and finches room to wade at the edge. Against the metal Polyjkl, it costs more and sits in the sun, so it needs a spot with open light. It is the only pick here with a built-in feature beyond a bowl.

Buy it if you have a sunny spot and want a bath that pulls birds in fast. Skip it for a shaded yard, where the fountain will not run, and take the Polyjkl or Alpine.

A 40 inch metal bird bath with a 13 inch wide, 3 inch deep removable bowl that holds 1.3 gallons. The load-bearing poles have deepened threaded joints, the base is five pronged to push into soil, and an antique bronze powder coat protects the metal. The listing says it also works as a feeder or with a compatible solar fountain pump.

Compared with the Ouisjyer, it stands taller on the same bowl and adds a pump option. Compared with the Houyang cast iron bath, it is lighter and cheaper to move, but the 3 inch depth is at the deep end for small birds, so a few flat stones in the bowl give them a shallow ledge. The Alpine baths are shorter and need no staking.

Buy it if you want height, an easy lift-off bowl and a low price. Skip it for hard ground or paved patios where the five-prong base cannot go in the soil, and take an Alpine.

A 13 inch wide, 3 inch deep bowl holding about 1.4 gallons, on a thickened metal pole with a five-prong stake. You change the height by adding or removing poles, and the bowl lifts off the frame for refilling. The coating is weather resistant, and the listing says the bowl doubles as a seasonal feeder, with room for stones or floating lights.

It is the Polyjkl's close sibling with a little more capacity and a pole-count height adjustment, but without a listed fountain option. The Backyard Expressions costs more and adds a fountain. Versus the Alpine pedestal baths, it is easier to clean and lighter to carry, but the stake holds only in soil.

Buy it for a flowerbed or garden border where you want the height to fit the planting. Skip it if you want moving water, which the Backyard Expressions offers.

A 31 inch pedestal with a cast iron base heavy enough to hold in bad weather, topped by a lightweight metal bowl 11.4 inches across and 2.76 inches deep. A cast iron bird is welded to a branch beside the bowl. The listing says it assembles in minutes.

The weight is the point: next to the Polyjkl and Ouisjyer, which push into soil on a five-prong stake, the Houyang stands on a heavy base wherever you put it, including a patio. The bowl is the smallest in the group at 11.4 inches, so it suits a few small birds rather than a crowd, and the Backyard Expressions offers far more water.

Buy it for a patio or paved spot where a stake will not work and wind is a concern. Skip it if you want a large bowl or a fountain.

A 27 inch tall, 17 inch diameter polypropylene pedestal with a wide shallow basin that holds 3.2 liters. A bird figure sits on the rim as a perch and a decoy, and the plastic does not rust. Alpine backs it with one year of support.

It is the more ornate of the two Alpine baths, with the statue and a bigger bowl than the 25 inch planter model. Against the metal bowls it is lighter and has no stake to push in, but plastic can tip in strong wind unless the base is weighted. The Houyang cast iron bath holds better in wind.

Buy it for a classic look on a patio or lawn at a low price. Skip it for a windy yard unless you weight the base, and take the Houyang.

A 25 inch tall, 15 by 15 inch polypropylene birdbath in a natural green finish, with a wide shallow bowl and a built-in planter in the base for flowers or greenery. The plastic resists rust, UV damage and fading, and the one-year support covers it.

It trades the bird statue and larger bowl of the other Alpine for a planter and a lower price. Against the metal removable bowls, it is shorter, needs no staking and has one more thing to look at, but the bowl is fixed in place, so cleaning means tipping or scrubbing in place.

Buy it as a first bath where price matters most. Skip it if you want to lift the bowl off for rinsing, and take the Polyjkl or Ouisjyer.