Winter Bird Feeding: Why Suet is a Must-Have
As winter sets in across Wisconsin, backyard birds face a tough challenge—finding enough food to sustain them through the frigid temperatures and snow-covered landscapes. One of the best ways you can help them thrive is by offering suet, a high-energy food that provides essential fats and nutrients birds need during the colder months.
Why Suet?
Suet is a dense, calorie-rich food made from rendered animal fat. It’s particularly beneficial in winter because it offers the high-energy fuel birds require to maintain their body heat. Many birds that remain in Wisconsin throughout the winter, such as woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and jays, rely on suet when natural food sources become scarce.
Types of Suet and How to Offer It
Suet comes in a variety of forms, including cakes, balls, and even plugs designed to fit into specialized feeders. Some suet blends contain additional ingredients like nuts, berries, and seeds to attract a wider variety of birds. Here are a few suet feeding tips:
Use a Suet Feeder: Cage-style suet feeders allow birds to cling while feeding, mimicking their natural behavior. You can also find suet log feeders with pre-drilled holes for suet plugs.
Location Matters: Hang your suet feeder near trees or shrubs to provide birds with shelter and protection from predators.
Keep it Fresh: In extremely cold temperatures, suet stays fresh for a long time, but it’s always a good idea to check for mold or spoilage if there’s a warm spell.
Prevent Starlings and Grackles: If larger, aggressive birds are hogging the suet, consider an upside-down suet feeder, which is designed to favor clinging birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches.
Birds You’ll Attract with Suet
Offering suet in winter can bring a variety of beautiful birds to your backyard, including:
Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers – Small, agile, and frequent suet visitors.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers – Striking birds with a bright red cap and a fondness for suet.
Black-capped Chickadees – Tiny, energetic birds that love both suet and seeds.
White-breasted Nuthatches – Often seen moving headfirst down trees, these birds readily take to suet.
Blue Jays – These bold, vocal birds appreciate a suet cake mixed with peanuts.
Make Your Backyard a Winter Sanctuary
By providing suet along with other bird-friendly foods like black oil sunflower seeds, you’ll create a haven for winter birds and enjoy the beauty of nature right outside your window. In addition to food, consider offering a heated birdbath for fresh water and providing shelter with birdhouses or natural plant cover.
Shop In-Store for the Best Bird Feeding Supplies
If you’re ready to start feeding birds this winter, we have everything you need! From high-quality suet cakes to durable suet feeders, our in-store selection is curated to help you attract and support local bird species. Visit us today to stock up on winter bird feeding essentials and make this season a feast for your feathered friends!