Who's at my feeder?

Feeding guide

Suet for birds

Which birds eat suet, when to put it out, which feeder to use – and a no-melt recipe you can make at home.

  • 27%of Ohio winter bird sightings are suet eaters
  • 18suet-eating feeder birds in Ohio
Downy woodpecker feeding on suet in a wire suet cage in winter
Downy woodpecker at a suet cage

Who eats it

Which birds eat suet?

Mostly birds that eat insects: woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and wrens. Ranked by their share of winter bird sightings in Ohio.

  1. Red-bellied Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Red-bellied Woodpecker

    3.5% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Michael / iNaturalist, CC BY

  2. Downy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Downy Woodpecker

    3.7% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  3. European Starling, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    European Starling

    3.0% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: Timothy Lindsey / iNaturalist, CC BY

  4. White-breasted Nuthatch, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    White-breasted Nuthatch

    3.2% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: sunflower, suet, peanuts

    Photo: Judy Gallagher / iNaturalist, CC BY

  5. Tufted Titmouse, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Tufted Titmouse

    3.0% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: sunflower, peanuts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  6. Carolina Wren, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Carolina Wren

    2.2% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, mealworms

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  7. Carolina Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Carolina Chickadee

    2.2% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  8. Northern Flicker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Northern Flicker

    1.3% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, peanuts

    Photo: iNaturalist, CC0

  9. Black-capped Chickadee, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Black-capped Chickadee

    1.7% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: sunflower hearts, suet

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

  10. Hairy Woodpecker, one of the backyard birds that visit feeders

    Hairy Woodpecker

    1.2% of Ohio winter sightings

    Eats: suet, peanuts, sunflower

    Photo: Blake Ross / iNaturalist, CC BY

Season

When to feed suet

Suet is most useful from late autumn to early spring, when insects are scarce and birds need fat to get through cold nights. That is also when most suet eaters are at feeders: woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and wrens.

Raw suet softens and turns rancid in warm weather, and soft fat can mat feathers. From late spring to early autumn, switch to no-melt suet dough – fat mixed with flour, oats or cornmeal so it stays firm – or pause suet altogether.

How to

How to feed suet

Suet cage

A wire cage holds one standard cake (about 11 oz). Hang it on a tree trunk or pole, where woodpeckers can brace against it.

Tail-prop feeder

A cage with a long board below gives larger woodpeckers such as the pileated and red-bellied room to lean on their stiff tail feathers.

Upside-down feeder

The suet is only reachable from below. Woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees cling on easily; starlings and grackles find it hard. Useful where starlings empty the cage in a day.

Plugs, nuggets and balls

Plugs fit into holes drilled in a log feeder; nuggets go into a tray or mesh feeder and also suit bluebirds and wrens.

Homemade

Homemade no-melt suet recipe

Melt 1 cup of lard or rendered beef suet with 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter. Stir in 2 cups of quick oats, 2 cups of cornmeal, 1 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of sugar. Press into a square container, chill until firm and cut into cakes that fit your cage.

Leave out bacon grease and meat drippings – salt and preservatives are bad for birds, and the smell attracts mammals.

Makes about four standard cakes.

Store extra cakes in the freezer and put one out at a time.

What to buy

Suet feeders and cakes

Pick the feeder by the birds you want to see – and keep a no-melt option for the warm months.

FeederSuet cage feederSingle-cake wire cage – the basic option.FeederTail-prop suet feederFor larger woodpeckers such as the pileated.FeederUpside-down suet feederKeeps starlings and grackles off.FoodSuet cakesStandard 11 oz cakes, with seeds or insects.FoodNo-melt suet doughStays firm in summer heat.

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Questions

Suet: questions

What birds eat suet?

Mainly woodpeckers (downy, hairy, red-bellied, pileated, northern flicker), nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, wrens, yellow-rumped warblers and, less welcome, starlings.

When should I stop feeding suet?

Raw suet goes soft and rancid in warm weather. From late spring to early autumn, use no-melt suet dough or stop feeding suet until it cools down again.

How do I keep starlings off my suet?

Use an upside-down suet feeder. Woodpeckers and nuthatches feed hanging from below; starlings find it difficult.

Can I use bacon grease for suet?

No. Bacon grease and meat drippings contain salt and preservatives that are bad for birds.