Most Common Backyard Birds

Suet & Nuggets

What is suet?
Suet is animal fat. It is the most concentrated source of energy you can offer wild birds. Suet should be made with only the highest quality processed beef kidney fat. Special processes remove impurities that cause low melting points and spoilage problems. Good suets are a poured product and will become soft and pliable at around 100 degrees (F). Suet should be refined even further and pressed to produce a "No Melt" suet that can be fed during the hottest temperatures.

What birds are attracted by suet?
Many birds enjoy suet. Some birds are attracted more by specific flavors. Woodpeckers, grosbeaks, nuthatch and chickadees will be the most frequent visitors to the suet feeders. Sparrows, titmouse and house finches will also frequent suet stations.

Why do birds eat suet?
Suet is one of the top three foods to feed wild birds. Birds have high metabolic rates. It is not unusual for birds to consume 1/4 to 1/3 their body weight worth of food a day! Offering suet, mixed with the highest quality grains, nuts, fruits, and flavored pellets provides a high caloric energy source. Suet is one of the first foods birds will offer their young.

When do birds eat?
Birds seek out food most actively first thing in the morning and again just before nightfall. This gives them the energy burst they need to make it through spring nesting, breeding and chilly winter nights. The wide variety and product quality make Suet an extremely desirable food source for our many feathered friends in all seasons.

How do I feed suet?
Suet is traditionally fed in vinyl-coated wire cages. They are inexpensive and durable. Wire dimensions vary depending on how starling or squirrel resistant you want your feeder to be. The cages, or baskets, hold from one to several Suet Cakes or Bricks. The cages may be hung from branches, tree trunks, or hooks. There are also several designs available combining wire with wood or plastic.

When do I feed suet?
ALL YEAR ROUND!!! In the past, people fed suet only in the fall and winter, due to poor quality and misconceptions of feeding wild birds. Winter is a good time for the beginner to start feeding because most trees are bare of foliage making the birds very visible. You are also more apt to see birds in flocks in the winter time. The growth and popularity of summer bird feeding was to be expected. You will have constant activity on your feeders as they flit back and forth for quick snacks during their busy day. "No Melt" Suets make it easy to attract insect eating birds to your yard in warm weather. Year round feeding allows you to observe and enjoy wild birds when they are the most active and colorful.

What birds eat suet?
If you have never fed Suet, you have missed some great neighbors. Common birds that eat suet are downy, hairy, red-bellied, and pileated woodpeckers. Chickadees, northern flickers, nuthatches, and starlings are also avid suet eaters. By adding Suet to your wild bird's menu, you will also attract wrens, warblers, thrushes, brown creepers, brown thrashers, and blue jays. You can also attract orioles, pine siskins, titmice, and the ever popular bluebird.

What flavors do I feed?
Suet flavors are available in treats and "No Melt" delights. Start with a suet that is most appealing to you. Ingredients vary from peanuts to papaya, hot pepper to almond, berry to cherry, and raisin to insect. Special blends are available including Hawaiian, Oriole, Bluebird and Woodpecker.