A Beginner's Guide to Suet Feeders for Wild Birds

Contrary to popular belief, not all birds will flock to a bird feeder filled with bird seed. Some birds, such as Mockingbirds, Orioles, Nuthatches, Wrens, Warblers, Woodpeckers and Chickadees, are insect eating birds. These birds are much more likely to make a home in your backyard if you provide them with suet feeders.

Suet is the perfect food source for these insect eating birds. Suet most often comes in a brick that can be placed in a suet feeder or on a feeding platform. Suet is rendered beef suet (fat), mixed with other ingredients such as millet, pellets, corn, fruit, peppers and dehydrated insects. There are many different brands and flavors of bird suet available, so with a little experimentation, you can be certain you will find one that the birds in your yard will enjoy.

Suet should be offered to your backyard birds year round, however feeding suet in the summertime can be tricky and sometimes messy. If you live in an extremely warm climate, you should always check before you buy your suet to make sure that the packaging says "no melt" Otherwise you can have quite a mess on your hands. Feeding suet in the winter is of course much easier, and also the most important time of the year to feed the suet, when insects can be scarce.

There are many different types of suet feeders available for you to choose from. Standard suet feeders are often just square cages made from different size block wire that will hold suet blocks. These of course, come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some of these suet cages will hold one block of suet, while others are made to hold multiple blocks, allowing you to offer an assortment of suet to your backyard birds.

For a more natural type of feeder, you can find suet logs. These logs are made from real wood pieces and are excellent for attracting birds to your yard that are more comfortable feeding from a more natural feeder. Suet logs have small "plugs" cut from them in various places. You can either cut a suet block yourself and place the pieces in the log, or you can buy pre-cut suet plugs made specifically for suet logs.

If you have woodpeckers in your yard, you may consider buying tail prop suet feeders. Woodpeckers have the ability to use their tail as a "prop" for balance. These tail prop feeders have a long piece of wood that extends from the bottom of the feeder, creating the perfect spot for your woodpeckers to prop their tail.

Suet feeders are a great way to attract birds to your backyard that may otherwise choose not to live there. By providing suet feeders year round, you are guaranteed to be able to enjoy these birds all through the year.