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Downy woodpecker perched on hooked over suet cake bird feeder

How do birds find Suet feeders

Believe it or not wild birds don't set out for the day to seek out artificial suet fat balls or cakes, instead suet will be eaten as soon as its found be chance.

Birds will find suet bird feeders once they arrive at the bird feeder pole or branch that features a mix of bird feeders, grouped together in close proximity. Birds can't smell so must rely on their eyes; suet feeders will be found if clearly visible as they pass over or land, which will be inspected if hung with other feeders.

Forget about placing suet feeders in an area that is unseen to passing birds who frequently fly over your house; while making sure wild birds who do land in your yard can access the suet cakes or fat ball feeder with ease.

Birds find suet feeders by pure luck as birds don't wake up in a morning, looking forward to a fatty ball filled with their favorite bird food.

Instead, the fat ball or suet cake feeder will just happen to be hanging up alongside bird feeders they previously frequented, only the suet will be a popular addition to the other types of feeders, grouped together on the bird feeder pole.

Birds are most active early in the morning thus its vital the suet is put out the night before.

If birds don't appear to be eating your suet at this time, don't worry as it could be wrong time of the year, or you are using the wrong kind of suet.

Best suet fat balls or suet cakes you can use are seed or mealworm-filled suet; though there's an option with both or additional ingredients making up the suet.

Group suet feeders together then to be sure suet is found with other feeders, while additional fat balls or suet cakes can be left out of feeders to feed non-bird feeder birds.

Birds can be attract to suet feeders by sight, thus a colorful feeder or blossoming surrounding can help - with a mix of seed, nut or mealworm suet in use - to be sure you cater to all bird species own specific dietary needs.

Spotted as birds land or pass over

As wild birds go about their day, most of it is spend foraging for food in the wild, whereas our yards become a target for common backyard birds who know a bird feeder can only mean its filled with food.

Birds do remember where bird feeders are and therefore will return to a particular yard on a daily basis.

When wild bird arrive for the first time at feeders on the other hand, they won't know about your suet feeder until they spot in by eyesight, and eyesight alone.

Birds can't smell, nor do they have binocular vision like those of birds of spray, thus your common songbird will know about the suet bird feeders as soon as they are in sight.

Birds will notice a group of bird feeders with ease and may spot a suet feeder only when they have landed somewhere in your yard; just as many birds do when they briefly land to spot worms on the lawn or other natural food like fruits or seeds.

Its only then when wild birds land would an obvious or what could be a well obstructed suet feeder, become known to them.

On the other hand wild birds could spot the colorful bird feeders hanging off a pole, with just luck a suet feeder is made available.

With that comes those orange netted fat balls which can be found as birds pass overhead if they are hung off a pole, a branch or simply thrown into some shrubs - of which I highly recommend you avoid use of plastic netted suet balls.

Often with help of additional feeders

In truth, what kind of birds does suet attract can include your common woodpecker, chickadee, nutcrackers, warblers, sparrows, blue jays and many others who will find bird feeders by pure luck.

Rather than seek out a fat ball or suet cake bird feeder in particularly, birds will simply stumble upon the suet often grouped together with other bird feeders; with those commonly made to hold peanuts, mealworms or seeds.

How long it will take for birds to find your suet fat balls or cakes can be a matter of minutes, if indeed the bird feeder pole is frequently occupied throughout the day.

If your backyard has a recent history of attracting birds to bird feeders, then it won't be long before birds begin to peck at the suet.

Its imperative suet feeders are hung with other bird feeders in a group as an isolated suet feeder - be it a suet feeder or suet left out of feeders - can be missed as wild birds stay busy at the most active feeding area.

Group suet feeders of any kind alongside their favorite seed or nut bird feeders then, while offering a prominent position on the bracket [as pictured] or branch to be sure birds that want to eat the suet, can do with an accessible suet cage feeder.

Similarly, while an upside down suet feeder would be obstructed, to sight this type of feeder near a wild bird food source, will eventually see woodpeckers or chickadees feed while hanging upside down.

Will take time and patience

With wild birds visiting your yard on a daily basis with no set time, you only need to keep your suet bird feeders out all day until they are eventually found.

Its only luck if suet is found while hung up on their own with no recent history of wild bird activity; or no luck at all if wild birds are found to almost instantly come to your yard to feed on feeders regularly.

Don't despair if your once reliable visiting birds delay or aren't seen at feeders now the suet feeder is put up, so just be patient as it will be just a coincidence birds stop coming.

Brand new bird feeders put up in your yard will need time in particularly, while baring in mind you must have bird feeders put out in early morning before the feeding frenzy begins.

In an effort to get birds to notice your suet feeders in your yard with a first time setup, don't use more suet in an effort to attract birds. Suet can only be left out in feeders for a week or two in summer, thus it will rot before its even touched by birds.

With that in mind, wild birds do tend to change their dietary needs based on time of year, and while birds do eat suet in the summer, birds prioritize this high in fat content suet in winter for energy which is lost in the cold.

To summarize up

How most wild birds will find suet in bird feeder is like any bird feeder type really, by pure luck as birds briefly land in your yard or fly overhead throughout the day.

Suet can go a miss if its hung or located in an obstructed area, whereas wild birds can be seen to peck at the suet as quickly as its put up; if hung alongside other popular bird feeders you happen to have hung up on a pole or branch.

Birds can't smell thus will rely on eyesight alone, its important then to be sure suet bird feeders are visible to the occasional wild bird flying over your house, or ones that land on an elevated area of the yard.

You can leave suet fat balls or cakes out of feeders to place on a wall or roof, only the bird feeder can make it more obvious and therefore easier to find by birds.

Birds find suet feeders by luck really but will begin eating suet if you hang it up alongside nut or seed feeders.

When suet is found but appears to have gone untouched, the time of year could be to blame and so to can the wrong species be arriving in the yard.

Birds stick to a strict diet so its vital the kind of suet used corresponds to the wild birds who most frequent your yard.

If in doubt always supply seed or mealworm suet or a bit of both to attract the most bird species to eat your suet, as soon as its found in your yard.

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