Common birds at a suet feeder
- Downy Woodpeckers readily cling to cage-style suet feeders.
- Pileated Woodpeckers may use a large feeder with a tail prop where they live.
- Northern Flickers sometimes take suet, although they often feed on ants on the ground.
- Black-capped Chickadees take small bites and may visit alongside nuthatches.
- White-breasted Nuthatches commonly use suet, peanut, and sunflower feeders.
- Red-breasted Nuthatches may visit for suet, especially when cone crops are limited.
- Hairy Woodpeckers use suet feeders where mature trees and suitable habitat are nearby.
- Blue Jays may eat suet, especially cakes containing nuts or seed.
Wrens, starlings, kinglets, creepers, and other species may also visit in some areas. A species appearing on a long suet list does not mean it will be common at every feeder.
What is bird suet?
Traditional suet is the firm fat found around the organs of cattle or sheep. Commercial bird suet is usually rendered and formed into cakes. Some products are labelled as no-melt blends for warmer conditions.
Choose a product made for wild birds. Avoid meat drippings or soft cooking grease, which can spoil, spread onto feathers, or contain salt and seasoning.
When should you offer suet?
Suet is especially popular in cool weather, when birds use more energy to stay warm and insects are harder to find. It can be offered at other times if the product is suitable for the temperature and remains fresh.
Check it often in warm weather. Remove suet that is soft, rancid, mouldy, dirty, or attracting more pests than birds. A shaded feeder can slow heating, but it does not stop spoilage.
How to place and maintain a suet feeder
- Use a sturdy cage that holds the cake securely.
- Place it where birds have a clear approach and nearby cover without giving a cat an easy hiding place.
- Use a tail-prop feeder for larger woodpeckers.
- Remove dropped pieces and wash the feeder regularly.
- Stop and clean if food is mouldy or birds appear sick.
Suet compared with seed
Suet is not a seed and does not replace every feeder food. It often suits woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches, while sunflower seed attracts many cardinals, finches, sparrows, and other seed eaters. The bird seed comparison helps match foods to your yard.
Return to what birds eat for seeds, insects, fruit, nectar, nuts, and other diet groups.