Love these little toys that make people ask how does it work. This is an old time favorite that still makes people stop and look at it. This bird has been drinking water for three days now none stop.
I've always been fascinated by these things. I used to have one of those drinking birds. I think I was in elementary school when we went on a field trip to Luray [limestone] Caverns in the western part of the state. Of all the goofy things I bought in the gift shop after being marveled by nature, I spent my money on one of those drinking birds.
Walmart has them for $7.25 Amazon has them for $9.98 Some complain that the glass is very fragile, and the liquid (dichloromethane) is a very strong solvent. I'd be tempted to keep it in a Pyrex dish or on a non-plastic dinner plate. I'm thinking only the bird would need to be on something that would contain the spill...the glass of water could be placed directly on the table.