Welcome New Birds with Suet

Townsend's Warbler by Dan Mitchell

With nesting season on it’s way, birds need to build up reserves to meet high energy demands. Nest-building, egg-laying, incubating and providing food for young come with high energy costs. And, like human parents, bird parents will work themselves to the bone for their offspring.

Now through nesting season, suet is readily taken as a nutritional boost for adults and young. During cold snaps, insects are scarce putting nesting birds at risk of losing their young. Because baby birds develop so rapidly, one day without enough food, can make the difference. Even seed-eating birds feed their young suet, as it is a soft-food that baby birds can digest.

If you have never offered suet, now’s a good time to introduce it to your feeding stations. Be sure and keep the suet feeder well stocked so birds will come to know your feeder as reliable. You’ll be thanking us when parent birds feed their newly fledged young right there in front of you. Talk about joy!

Happy suet feeding!

Article by Darlene Betat