Food › Suet

What birds eat suet?

Of the 118 real birds in our field guide, 21 come to feeders for suet: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Crested Barbet and Gila Woodpecker and more.

In North American yards and woods: Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, Gila Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pacific Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Flicker.

It is the first choice of Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker and Long-tailed Tit: when several foods are out, they go for this one.

About suet

Suet is hard animal fat, usually sold as cakes mixed with seed or insects. It is pure energy for birds that eat insects, especially in cold weather.

Put a suet cake in a wire suet cage hung on a tree trunk or pole, where woodpeckers can cling and brace with their tails.

In the game, suet goes in the suet cage.

Backyard Eastern North America

Blue JayBackyard

Also: peanuts, sunflower seed.

Black-capped ChickadeeBackyard

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Tufted TitmouseBackyard

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Downy WoodpeckerBackyard

First choice. Also: peanuts, sunflower seed.

Carolina WrenBackyard

First choice. Also: mealworms, peanuts.

White-breasted NuthatchBackyard

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Northwest forest Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Steller's JayNorthwest forest

Also: peanuts, sunflower seed.

Chestnut-backed ChickadeeNorthwest forest

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Pacific WrenNorthwest forest

Also: mealworms.

Red-breasted NuthatchNorthwest forest

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Pileated WoodpeckerNorthwest forest

First choice. Only this food.

Northern FlickerNorthwest forest

First choice. Also: sunflower seed.

Desert scrub Sonoran Desert, Arizona and Mexico

Gila WoodpeckerDesert scrub

Also: fruit, nectar, peanuts.

African savanna Southern and East Africa, at sunset

Crested BarbetAfrican savanna

Also: fruit, mealworms.

City park Europe, in a London park

European RobinCity park

Also: mealworms, sunflower seed.

Eurasian Blue TitCity park

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Great TitCity park

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Eurasian BlackbirdCity park

Also: fruit, mealworms.

Great Spotted WoodpeckerCity park

Also: peanuts, sunflower seed.

Eurasian NuthatchCity park

Also: sunflower seed, peanuts.

Long-tailed TitCity park

First choice. Only this food.

Other foods

Sunflower seed (39)Nyjer seed (3)Millet (24)Peanuts (18)Fruit (25)Nectar (9)Mealworms (20)