If you've ever noticed that certain birds flock to your feeders while others seem to just pass them by, the secret might be the flavor of bird food you're offering. Just like people, birds can have different preferences when it comes to the food they eat.
One of the best foods you can offer wild birds is suet. But with flavor options ranging from nutty to fruity to insect-rich, deciding which one to use can be a tough choice.
We spoke with three bird experts to get their advice on how to decide which suet flavor options are best for your backyard.
Choose types of suet based on the birds native to your neck of the woods.
When it comes to suet, there are a lot of flavor profiles to choose from, ranging from seeds to insects and sweet to spicy. If you want to choose a flavor based on the native birds in your region and which species you're trying to attract, start by simply watching and taking note of which birds visit your neighborhood. You can use apps like the Cornell Lab Merlin Bird ID to identify the birds through their appearance or song.
"I find that feeding specific formulas based on the types of birds I see works best," suggested Don Orkoskey, a wildlife photographer for more than 25 years, teacher, and owner of WDO Photography.
You can also use online tools to help research which birds are native to your area, such as the Audubon Society's Guide to North American Birds.
Just remember: While different flavors can draw in different species, the most important factor to consider is the quality of the suet you're buying, advised Chad Witko, National Audubon Society specialist on avian biology.
"Insect-eating species, like bluebirds, may linger longer at suet with added insect protein as compared to seed-filled varieties," Witko said. "But overall, any high-quality suet — whether with seeds, insects, or just plain fat — will attract a wide variety of species that use suet."
He added: "The most important thing is to choose suet made with premium ingredients from a reputable source."
C&S Suet offers a premium brand of suet that's made in the US from the highest quality beef kidney fat. This rendered beef suet is a great source of protein and calories that birds need and love. And because C&S Suet makes their products from high-quality beef tallow and renders them multiple times, they have fewer impurities and won't melt as easily.
Suets come in a variety of flavors and ingredients to please different types of birds.
Once you've decided on the brand of suet you want, experiment with different flavors to discover which are most popular among your feathered visitors. Below you'll find an in-depth look at the four most common suet flavors and which bird species might linger longer for each type.
1. Seed-Based Suet
Seeds are a common ingredient in suet because they tend to attract a wide variety of species. But some birds might have a particular type that they prefer a bit more than others.
Sunflower seeds, for example, may be particularly enticing to goldfinches, Northern cardinals, titmice, nuthatches, and grackles.
If you want to try this flavor, consider the C&S Sunflower Delight No Melt Suet Dough. It's good year-round and is formulated to stay fresh even on hot summer days. The suet cake also appeals to insect-eating birds and is made from a tasty combination of corn, sunflower meal, rendered beef suet, oats, sunflower hearts, and soybean oil.
Safflower seeds, another common suet ingredient, are especially tasty to birds like American goldfinches, sparrows, cardinals, doves, tufted titmice, blue jays, and Rose-breasted grosbeaks.
Many C&S Suet products contain safflower seeds, including the Songbird Snak with Peanut Suet Nuggets. This suet blend contains safflower, black sunflower, roasted peanuts, white millet, corn, rendered beef suet, gelatin, oats, and soybean oil.
Millet is another seed you'll often find in suet. It's loved by a wide variety of birds, such as doves, sparrows, cowbirds, Red-winged blackbirds, and Indigo buntings. You'll find millet as an ingredient featured in many C&S Suet products, including the Fruit & Nut Snak with Berry Suet Nuggets. These tasty nuggets are made of white millet, black sunflower, corn, roasted peanuts, rendered beef suet, gelatin, oats, raisins, blueberries, and soybean oil.
2. Nut Blends
Birds love nuts, which is why you'll easily find suet products with nutty blends as the main flavor. Peanuts in particular are tasty to many species, like Northern cardinals, American goldfinches, Black-capped chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches, Downy woodpeckers, tufted titmice, and Evening grosbeaks.
If you want to try a nutty-flavored suet, consider the C&S Nutty Treat. This suet cake can be used year-round and is made of a mix of natural roasted peanuts, beef suet, corn, white millet, and oats.
Another great option is the C&S Peanut Delight No Melt Dough Balls. They're made with real roasted peanuts, corn, rendered beef suet, oats, and soybean oil. They're great for year-round use, and they're designed to withstand temperatures up to 100°F without making a mess.
3. Fruit-Filled Flavors
Some birds, especially songbirds, go wild for fruit. Fruit-flavored suet might attract species like robins, bluebirds, mockingbirds, cardinals, grosbeaks, and tanagers, just to name a few.
If you want to try a fruit-flavored suet, consider the C&S Berry Flavor Suet Nuggets. These have blueberries as their main fruit flavor, along with roasted peanuts, beef suet, oats, soybean oil, and corn.
If you prefer suet cakes, the C&S Berry Treat is another great choice. This tasty suet is made of blueberries mixed with beef suet, corn, white millet, and oats.
For a change of pace, another delicious option is the C&S Apple Treat, made of apples, rendered beef suet, corn, white millet, and oats.
4. Insect-Based Blends
Birds love to munch on protein-rich insects, so this is another common flavor you'll find in suet. If you choose an insect blend, you might find that your bird feeder entices birds like chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and titmice to linger a little longer.
If you want to attract birds by offering extra protein, try the C&S Insect Treat. This tasty suet cake features insects mixed with rendered beef suet, corn, and white millet.
Or maybe you want to offer mealworms (the larva of the yellow mealworm beetle) as an extra protein source. If so, C&S Suet offers Mealworm Suet Nuggets, which are made of mealworms mixed with corn, roasted peanuts, rendered beef suet, oats, and soybean oil.
Most squirrels aren't fans of spicy flavors.
If you want to deter critters like squirrels that might steal food from your birds, consider a suet with a spicy pepper flavor mixed in.
"In my experience, squirrels will eat nearly anything they can," Orkoskey noted. "That said, I've had luck with spicy suet. That is, suet that contains chili powder. Of course, results may vary as I've had friends in other parts of the country with chili-resistant squirrels who will look them dead in the eyes while eating their suet."
For this approach, try the C&S Hot Pepper Delight No Melt Suet Dough. This suet cake is made of red pepper mixed with corn, roasted peanuts, rendered beef suet, oats, and soybean oil.
If your squirrels are spice-resistant, Orkoskey suggested using a distraction.
"I put out unsalted peanuts for crows and blue jays, and the squirrels by default eat those and my loose sunflower seeds," he said. "This helps them stay away from the suet."
Keep squirrels occupied with food just for them, such as the C&S Sweet Corn Squirrelog Refill or the C&S Squirrel Snak (a mix of corn, roasted peanuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts).
Suet feeders should match up with the type of suet you choose. A different feeder for different types!
When choosing what type of bird feeder to use with your suet, your choice should be based on the form of suet you use (like cakes or nuggets) rather than the flavor, advised Rebecca Lexa, a naturalist who offers opportunities like guided tours in the Pacific Northwest to learn more about nature.
"Flavors aren't as important as form in this regard," Lexa said. "Cage feeders are conveniently made to hold one or more suet cakes. If you work with a loosely packed suet, a log that has holes drilled in it to pack the suet into may be a better option. Tray feeders are also great for loose or crumbly suet."
A great option for a log-shaped feeder is the C&S Suet Nugget Feeder. It's shaped like a wire mesh log and is designed with an easy-open top so you can conveniently and quickly refill it with tasty suet nuggets.
If you're just starting out, you might want to use a cage feeder with suet cakes, like the C&S EZ Fill Suet Basket, since they're simple to set up.
When you're ready to level up your suet-feeding game, try the C&S E-Z Fill Deluxe Snak Suet Feeder with Roof + Platform. It holds up to 56 ounces of bird suet and is easy to use. It also feeds more birds at the same time with multiple perches and a platform bottom.
"Suet cakes in cage feeders tend to be the most beginner-friendly," Lexa said. "You might try rotating suet flavors to see what your local birds like the most. Try starting with a suet that has seeds, and then perhaps one with fruit in it."
If you prefer an open tray feeder over a cage, put suet nuggets in it instead of cakes. These are easy for birds that are just passing through to spot, Lexa said, and some species (like crows) may actually prefer them.
Other great options for bird feeders include suet ball feeders, suet plug feeders, or ready-to-use logs that you just unwrap and hang without needing a separate feeder.
Cleaning suet feeders regularly helps keep birds healthy.
No matter which type of feeder you choose, make sure to clean it regularly.
"If you have birds that prefer specific flavors, then buying them fresh and cleaning your feeders regularly should ensure that they don't go rancid," Orkoskey said.
If temperatures get hot, you'll want to try a no-melt variety of suet that's made for the summer heat.
"Check your suet regularly and replace it if it starts to smell, appear greasy, or show signs of mold," Witko said. "Some resources suggest swapping it out once a week. You can always cut suet into pieces and freeze what is not used until the next time."
Also, be careful where you keep your suet.
"Always store extra suet in a cool, dry place and follow the manufacturer's storage or disposal recommendations," Witko said.
Discovering which type of suet works best for your area takes patience.
Be prepared to experiment with suet flavors, forms, and feeders until you find what works best for your yard.
"You won't know what's best for your yard until you experiment a bit," Lexa said. "You may only have certain bird species in your area, and not all may enjoy suet."
But if you want to take out some of the guesswork, these suet flavors from C&S Suet are designed to specifically attract certain species of birds:
Choosing where to place your suet is just as important as the type of suet.
Once you've chosen your suet and feeder, it's important to choose an ideal location. Make sure there are a lot of bushes and trees where the feeders are located so your feathered visitors feel safe.
"I place my suet feeders close to places of refuge, thick bushes, smaller trees, in my backyard close to my neighbor's property," Orkoskey said. "She too has a lot of feeders, so it gives the birds a place to gather not only to eat but also to perch, preen, rest, and even to nest. I have several suet feeders as well as other types of feeders. I find this is ideal as it allows different birds the opportunity to visit the feeders they like and not be bullied by the big birds like the European starlings that hang around my place."
You should also choose a spot that's sheltered from the weather.
"Always choose the highest-quality suet you can afford from a reputable brand to ensure it's safe and nutritious," Witko said. "Place it in a secure feeder that keeps it in place and minimizes mess, and position it in a shaded, sheltered spot to protect it from sun and rain."
Suet is good for birds year-round — not just in cold, winter weather.
Using a high-quality suet can offer great benefits year-round. In the summer, it helps provide the nutrition that birds need while they raise their babies and go through molting season.
"This is when most birds are raising their young; they have more mouths to feed," Orkoskey said.
During the summer, you'll want to invest in no-melt varieties that stay fresher while the temperatures heat up.
In the winter, suet provides a calorie-rich resource when it's frigidly cold and food is hard to find.
"Winter is definitely tougher, especially later in the season once many food stores have been used up," Lexa said.
By matching your suet flavors to the most common bird species in your region, you'll attract a wider variety of feathered visitors and help them thrive year-round. Don't be afraid to experiment with flavors and feeder types until you find the perfect fit. Over time, your yard will become a favorite stop for songbirds, woodpeckers, and more.
Learn more about suet and bringing birds to your yard in The Essential Guide to Creating a Backyard Bird Oasis. And for more on keeping pesky animals out of your suet feeders, read How to Prevent Raccoons and Squirrels from Eating from Your Suet Feeders.
Feeding birds suet throughout all four seasons can transform any backyard into a hub of avian activity.
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