Bird baths
Adding water and food, collecting rain, freezing, and cleaning across all six bird baths.
Obtaining
Wood, stone, and iron each have two styles, for six versions in total. Capacity, cleaning, and weather mechanics are the same.
How to use
Adding water
Place the bath on the top face of a block. Right-click with a water bucket to fill all three units, leaving an empty bucket. A water bottle adds one unit and leaves a glass bottle. Empty any food from the bath before adding water.
Adding food
Right-click while holding a supported food. Each item adds one unit, up to three. You can top up the same food type; adding a different type replaces the contents. Different types cannot be mixed.
Accepts cod and salmon (raw or cooked), tropical fish, and pufferfish; beef, pork, mutton, chicken, and rabbit (raw or cooked); bread or breadcrumbs.
Collecting rain outdoors
The bath must have a clear view of the sky while it is raining. Empty baths and water-filled baths automatically fill to three units of water. Rain does not replace food or ice.
Rain has a chance to remove one level of dirt, but will not wash away spoiled contents. A roof or other cover stops rain collection.
Freezing and thawing
Water has a chance to freeze if the bath is open to the sky and its biome is cold enough for snow. A frozen bath cannot provide normal drinking or bathing water for birds.
Thawing also requires an open sky. Ice has a chance to melt during the day once the environment is no longer cold enough. Periodic checks trigger these changes, so they are not immediate. Right-click a frozen bath with a water bucket to replace the ice with a full bath of water. A water bottle can also add water and thaw a partially filled frozen bath.
Food spoilage
Fish and meat have a base spoilage time of 60 minutes; bread takes 120 minutes. Time accumulates while the chunk is running. Food spoils faster outdoors during dry daylight hours. Successfully adding food restarts the timer. Right-clicking a full bath consumes no food and does not reset the timer.
Spoiled contents display a decay effect and must be cleared with an empty hand. Adding water or waiting for rain will not remove them.
Dirt, cleaning, and emptying
Bird use and water left standing make the bath dirty. At the highest dirt level, birds cannot properly drink, eat, or bathe. The bath needs cleaning even if it still has contents.
Right-click with an empty hand to improve cleanliness by one level. If the contents are spoiled, the first action removes them; dirt remains and needs further cleaning. Sneak-right-click with an empty hand to empty the bath. Spoiled contents are removed first if present.
Using a water bucket on an empty, partially water-filled, or frozen bath also improves cleanliness by one level if the bath is at its dirtiest. An outdoor water bath has a chance to lose one unit to evaporation during dry daylight hours. Breaking the bath does not return its water or food.
Versions and recipes
Wooden Bird Bath I ↗
A wooden bird bath in the first style. Holds three units.
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Stone Bird Bath I ↗
A stone bird bath in the first style. Holds three units.
Iron Bird Bath I ↗
An iron bird bath in the first style. Holds three units.
Wooden Bird Bath II ↗
A wooden bird bath in the second style. Holds three units.
Stone Bird Bath II ↗
A stone bird bath in the second style. Holds three units.
Iron Bird Bath II ↗
An iron bird bath in the second style. Holds three units.
When birds use a bath
Birds choose baths according to hunger, thirst, and cleanliness needs, and food must suit their diet. Sleeping, fleeing, alert, or eating birds may not approach immediately. Night herons can use baths containing water or fish.
