Helping Winter Birds

Suet is an excellent food to offer any time, but especially during the cold winter months. It is a high energy food made with fat and will attract a variety of birds, including those that do not feed on seed. Some of the birds that will be attracted to suet are: woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, bushtits, jays, magpies, and starlings. Commercial suet cakes may be placed in a wire basket and hung/mounted in a tree or on a pole. (If you prefer not to attract magpies and starlings, see article on suet feeder that discourages these birds.) Additionally, there are feeders that will prevent a squirrel access to the suet.	Suet in log, a natural way to enjoy suet
wire suet basket	suet feeder in a cage to foil squirrels	suet cakes

Suet is an excellent food to offer any time, but especially during the cold winter months. It is a high energy food made with fat and will attract a variety of birds, including those that do not feed on seed. Some of the birds that will be attracted to suet are: woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, bushtits, jays, magpies, and starlings. Commercial suet cakes may be placed in a wire basket and hung/mounted in a tree or on a pole. (If you prefer not to attract magpies and starlings, see article on suet feeder that discourages these birds.) Additionally, there are feeders that will prevent a squirrel access to the suet.

Suet in log, a natural way to enjoy suet

wire suet basket

suet feeder in a cage to foil squirrels

suet cakes

Water is essential to birds in winter, not only for drinking, but also for bathing. To keep warm, a bird needs to have clean feathers that create thermal airspace. You can put out fresh water daily after temperatures are above freezing or you can use an electric de-icer that will keep the water from freezing during very cold days.
a selection of de-icers		bath with de-icer unit

Water is essential to birds in winter, not only for drinking, but also for bathing. To keep warm, a bird needs to have clean feathers that create thermal airspace. You can put out fresh water daily after temperatures are above freezing or you can use an electric de-icer that will keep the water from freezing during very cold days.

a selection of de-icers

bath with de-icer unit

Last revised: 3-1-2008 by Frank Dodge© Carpe Avis Inc., a Colorado Corporation