Bushtits at feeder
Bird Food called suet is rendered beef fat with fruit, nuts, seeds and various other stuff mixed in. The fat makes it a high-energy food, and is ideal for winter feeding as it attracts a surprising variety of birds.
Typical suet eating birds include Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Titmice and Nuthatches, but you never know what might show up, like a Kinglet or Warbler.
There are a variety of styles of suet bird feeders including caged suet cake feeders, combination seed and suet feeders, and even an upside down suet feeder.
Personally, I am a big fan of the suet log feeder. They are great for attracting woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees – my favorites! If you would like to build your own, please see my DIY suet log feeder article.
Upside Down Suet Feeder
These are great bird feeders to have around the yard. During the winter, I usually fill 4-6 of these log feeders each week, depending my suet mix.
Some birds prefer suet feeders with special accommodations, and some dissuade certain species of birds and other animals. For instance the Tail Prop feeders provide larger Woodpeckers with an extended prop to help them balance their long tails.
The upside down feeder is easy for acrobatic suet loving species to use, but nuisance birds like Starlings and Grackles have a hard time hanging upside down to feed from it.
Red Bellied Woodpecker
The Suet Feeding Log has large holes to stuff in Suet Plugs and provides a natural feeding experience for the birds. Squirrels like suet, so we have caged options for suet feeders too.
There are a lot of varieties of suet, including Fruit & Berry, Raisin & Nut, Blueberry, Peanut Butter and Almond. Suet is available as melt and no-melt suet, the later holding its shape up in the summer heat. It is commonly sold in cake form, but also available as Suet Plugs shaped for use with our Suet Feeder Log.
I usually make my own suet and generally toss in a variety of things like safflower or nyjer seeds, cranberries or whatever other crunchy sweet seed or nut is laying around when I mix up a batch. Here’s my basic recipe:
New England Birdhouse Backyard Blend
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup suet or lard
2 cups quick-cook rolled oats
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup black-oil sunflower seed
1/2 cup raisins
In large bowl, melt lard and peanut butter. Fold flower, cornmeal, and oats into mix. Then add seeds and raisins. If the mix seems loose or thin, add more flour. Spread dough onto a waxed paper lined 13×9″ pan. Cut into rectangles for use in a suet feeder. Store in freezer.
If squirrels are a problem, try a Hot Pepper suet flavor to keep them away. Squirrels don’t like peppers, and birds don’t notice it. If you mix your own suet at home, try adding a some dried red pepper to your recipe. Also substitute safflower seed for the black-oil sunflower seed, squirrels don’t particularly like it.
Recent Comments