As temperatures drop and the colder months approach, backyard birds begin preparing for the challenges of fall and winter. With shorter days and colder weather, finding enough food to maintain their energy becomes especially important.
One way to support your feathered visitors is by offering suet. This energy rich bird food is a popular choice for attracting different species to backyard feeders, especially during Ontario's colder months.
What Is Suet?
Suet is a concentrated source of fat traditionally made from beef fat. Commercial suet cakes are often combined with ingredients such as seeds, peanuts, grains or dried insects to attract different birds.
Unlike traditional birdseed, suet provides a high amount of energy in a small serving. This makes it particularly useful during colder weather, when birds need energy to maintain their body temperature.
Why Do Birds Need Suet in the Fall and Winter?
Birds use energy throughout the day to fly, search for food and maintain their body temperature. As temperatures fall, keeping warm becomes more demanding.
Suet provides an additional source of fat and calories, helping supplement the natural foods birds find outdoors.
While birds can survive on natural food sources, providing suet can be a helpful way to support backyard visitors while enjoying the opportunity to observe them up close.
Who Enjoys Suet?
One of the best things about offering suet is the variety of birds it can attract.
Woodpeckers: Downy, Hairy and other woodpeckers are frequent visitors to suet feeders. Their ability to cling to trees and feeders makes them particularly well suited to this food.
Chickadees: These small, active birds benefit from energy rich foods during winter and are often seen visiting suet feeders.
Nuthatches: Known for moving up and down tree trunks, nuthatches readily visit suet feeders for a quick meal.
Blue Jays: Although commonly associated with peanuts and seeds, Blue Jays may also visit suet feeders.
Other birds, including certain wrens and creepers, may occasionally enjoy suet as well.
When Is the Best Time to Offer Suet?
Fall and winter are excellent times to introduce suet to your backyard feeding routine.
Cooler temperatures help keep traditional suet firm and reduce the risk of it spoiling. During warmer weather, suet can soften or become rancid, although certain commercially prepared cakes are designed to withstand higher temperatures.
Always check the product instructions and replace any suet that appears spoiled or moldy.
Where Should You Place a Suet Feeder?
Suet cakes are commonly placed inside specially designed cage feeders that allow birds to cling to the outside while feeding.
These feeders can be hung from sturdy branches, mounted on poles or attached to suitable feeding stations.
Choose a location that offers some protection from rain and direct sunlight, with nearby vegetation where birds can find shelter. To reduce window collisions, position feeders either within one metre of a window or more than nine metres away.
How Do You Keep Suet Feeders Clean?
Keeping your feeders clean is just as important as choosing the right food.
Check suet regularly for moisture, mold or signs of spoilage. Remove old food, clean feeders routinely and allow them to dry before adding fresh suet.
Cleaning approximately every two weeks is a useful starting point, although feeders may need more frequent attention during wet weather or periods of heavy bird activity.
Suet is a simple way to add variety and extra energy to your backyard bird feeding routine during the colder months.
Whether you're hoping to attract woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches or the occasional Blue Jay, a properly maintained suet feeder can make your backyard an inviting place for feathered visitors.
Suet season is here! Visit Ritchie Feed & Seed to explore suet cakes, bird feeders and other backyard bird feeding essentials. https://www.ritchiefeed.com/
