Yes, as long as there have been no preservatives added and the suet was melted during rendering and not over-cooked or over-heated, thus producing fractured (“cracked”) chains of fatty acids that can form undesirable compounds. I know of no commercial suets sold for birds that have these qualities, so anything you find in your local bird shop should be fine-as far as the suet is concerned.

Suet-feeding birds are most typically insect and invertebrate eaters. From the critters they eat, they obtain fats similar to the stuff in suet. They just get it in larger quantity than they can get in a meal of a couple grubs excavated from under a tee’s bark or from pulling apart a rotting log. A visit to your suet feeder provides a really nice dose of high energy, complex organic food to the bird. This helps them keep up their prodigious metabolism and gives them the raw materials for making certain vitamins and other important cellular components. Birds have a metabolic set up such that they rarely have trouble with things like fat accumulations or suffering from clogged or blocked arteries like humans can when we consume too much saturated fat over too long a period without increasing our energy output (physical work & exercise).

suet is a good and useful supplement for your wild birds and can be a real help in the midst of winter when heavy snowfall or bitter winds makes regular food collection by the birds difficult to impossible.

Birds do eat animal fat in nature, when try can get it, even if they are exclusive seed eaters in general. Many creatures we view as only herbivorous scavenge regularly from carrion for particular resources.

Specifically to seed eating birds, animal fat is exceedingly rich in energy, and helps them build up reserves for the winter.

When we put suet on our bird feeders, it gives them easier access to this highly desirable resource, so they’re willing to come where we can see them and risk predators camping out near our feeders as well.

It’s the same as a dish full of sunflower seeds, or hummingbird sugar solution feeders: something they strongly prefer or outright need, gathered into an artificially rich source.

I think they do, but let me also qualify that. I have chickadees, blue jays, crows, orioles and hummingbirds that show up at the feeder as I walk away if it has been empty. They obviously know to some degree that the feeders are full when this “thing” walks away. Do they understand that I am the source of the food? Not all of them. Crows and jays are extremely intelligent and do recognize that I represent food, I believe.

When I lived in NM I had a Scrub Jay that definitely understood. He would come and sit patiently, just a foot away, while I put out hamburger for him. As soon as I moved my hand he would step forward and take the hamburger. He would also come to the window look in and scream at me if I was late putting peanuts out for him.

I think after awhile they do. It’s just a matter of trust…think about it from their perspective, let’s say you got lost and now you’re stranded out in the wild somewhere. You’re hungry but can’t find any food. Then, an elephant comes by and lays down a few bananas for you and leaves. However, the elephant can’t tell you this so you probably wouldn’t know for sure. I’m guessing you wouldn’t walk right up to the elephant and thank him while he was laying the bananas down on the ground for you. You would probably be hiding, perhaps watching the elephant, then wait til the elephant left before hesitantly getting the bananas to eat. If the elephant proceeded to do this everyday to help you, it’d still take quite awhile to trust the elephant enough to go closer to the elephant or not hide. this is what it might be like for birds in terms of how they see us. They have to observe you for awhile before they start to trust you.

I’ve been feeding birds for over a year now. At first, they’d quickly fly away to a different yard the moment you stepped outside. However, as time went by, eventually, they would fly away but be in a tree perhaps high up when I’d go outside. Then, eventually, they’d stay or hide out in the bush next to the feeder or be on the tree on a branch close by to wait for me to pour out the food. Fairly recently, one bird or two have actually waited by the feeder for me as I’ve poured out food for them. and quite often when I go outside, I hear them start to chirp excitedly in the morning right before I pour bird food out. It’s very endearing.

(in the photo above is our cheep cheep feeder area in winter. The cheeps would usually hide out in the bush to the left of the feeder or up in the taller tree behind the feeder come summertime)

(here the cheep cheeps are in the same bush in the summertime)

I think the turning point for gaining their trust a little more was in the summertime. I remember one day seeing a bird with its beak open, so I found out that this meant the bird was having heat exhaustion. From that day on, I poured fresh cold water from the kitchen sink every day along with some ice cubes and pour this at the end of the driveway where the birds bathed. It didn’t take long for them to realize, so within a minute of pouring the ice cold water outside for them, I ’d often see a bird or two or even several birds come by and either take a few sips or bath in the water. I think one time I counted, 9 of them bathing at once after I poured water outside. On a few hot days, I even had a few of them wait at the end of the driveway for me as I was walking outside to pour water for them. One even was drinking from the water as I was pouring it!

(in the photos above are a few of my cheep cheeps bathing in water)

It always tickled me and amazed me just how smart they were and how appreciative they were. My little tiny guys. : )

So, once they trust you, you’ll start to see them interact more with you. What might also help is to say something every time you pour food out for them (like your own “bird “ human call maybe) so they get used to you and learn your voice. I usually will say “cheep cheeps” in a higher chipper voice ( I know, I’m a dork).

However, after awhile, whenever I’d say “cheep cheeps” I’d hear an excited chirp in response from one of the birds or a few of them.

I also walk very slowly when I pass the cheep cheep feeder, like walking in slow motion. This way you don’t scare them off. Have fun birding!

“Do wild birds that are fed by humans eventually lose the ability to forage for food on their own and become dependent? Or is it only domesticated animals that experience this phenomenon?”

The first part of this question is a very common myth. It is 100% false. The spreading of such a myth is harmful to migrating birds. Supplemental feeding is good and has positive effects on wild bird populations. When you appropriately set up feeding/watering stations for wild birds, you are only helping to replace what we have removed from their natural habitat. This act is considered responsible cohabiting. We have just as much a right to live as do all others that we share a habit with. As advanced members of our shared ecosystem, we have a responsibility to offset our impact on our environment in order for it to continue to function properly and remain healthy for all (this is also referred to as “being a good shepherd”). One simple way is to supplement food, water and shelter/safe place to raise offspring since, we have decreased the natural availability of these items in the process of meeting our needs. None of this decreases wildlife's “ability” to forage, it increases the “availability” of food to forage.

The second part is also a false statement. Domesticated animals have not lost their ability to forage. If they were set free in an environment where their natural food was available to be found, they would find it and eat it. The only time they are dependent upon us is if we keep them in an environment that is not naturally suitable for them (in a place where their food and water is not available unless we provide it and the climate is such that we must provide shelter). Many domesticated animals have become feral and successfully survive and reproduce.

So the “phenomenon” posed in this question doesn't exist, it is only a myth.

*Post edit note:

Please do not mistake my answer to include the supplemental feeding of “all” wild life (that may or may not have been impacted by humans). There are many that it would indeed be harmful to feed. One very common example would be bears. There are other things we can do for those wild animals to offset any impact, but that would be another question and answer for another post.

Addendum:

I don't know why I didn't mention this in my original post, but since this is still getting traction, I'll go ahead and add this other tidbit of information. Those of us that have birds as pets (I have given forever homes to rescues over the years) know first hand that even birds that have been bred in captivity for decades still have the natural instinct to forage! Well known fact, even the industry that makes bird toys, makes “foraging” toys to help keep pet birds stimulated. Those toys are not a necessity (one can set up interesting “foraging” activities without using store bought toys), but can be fun and helpful for the less creative caregiver. So, absolutely birds do not lose their natural instinct to forage!

Thanks to everyone for taking time to read, I greatly appreciated each view, upvote and comment!

I once heard a Lion professional talking and saying the lions did not know exactly what I was, just the support system…

So as I work my bird feeders. I can tell they are watching me go through the ritual and getting everything is in its place.

The Cardinals are the first to leave cover and fly over

After I'm away from the seeds…then the show begins..there is a pecking order for sure of trading places, butting into line and then a Blue Jay crew lands and its every bird to its self…while they peck their fill. Then everyone's back…even a woodpecker.

I set a big pile of whole corn out for a Crow family..out away from the other..They send out a scout to watch for me. I've seen them…

They are not sure what exactly I might be. But I am very useful.

When we put up a shelf outside the kitchen window and put birdseed and peanuts out, blue jays would let us know when the peanuts were gone. They have a sweet call and each one sings it his own way. So “they sang for their supper” sitting in the tree outside the kitchen about twice a day.

People feed seagulls on the beach, of course they already know people = food, and they learn fast exactly which people. The first time you feed them they may follow you when you walk home if you live near the beach. Next time you go out a couple will be sitting on poles waiting & watching.

I don’t make a habit of feeding gulls, but once I had a bunch of bread and rolls left over from a party. Discovered the following behavior by accident but have heard of it one other source. Go to the boardwalk with a bunch of stale bread or rolls torn in chunks. Instead of throwing it on the ground, throw the chunks one at a time up in the air. The flock will line up overhead like jets in a holding pattern, each one grabbing his chunk and flying off. This is not how most people feed them, so how do they learn this behavior and how do they know the exact pecking order to form one straight line, each gull taking its turn with no squabbling?

Birds are smart.

By breaking off bits of food that are small enough to swallow, and swallowing them. Some birds swallow small stones to help grind food up in their gizzard, while others don’t.

Depending on a bird’s gape and throat structure, what’s small enough to swallow may vary. Some birds are adapted to swallow their food whole, so they don’t break it up. (Most of these are fish-eaters).

“Is suet, made from animal fat, bad for birds?”

Absolutely not! It is one of the best one can feed birds, especially in the winter months and during breeding/raising young. Birds have much higher metabolism and need the calories from the fat to survive. I like to use a high fat content more plant based suet (peanut products mixed with some animal fat) during the warm months because it doesn't melt or go rancid from the heat. In the colder months I change to almost total animal fat with bits of dried fruits and nuts in it (cooler temperature keeps if fresh longer). Either way check the suet from time to time to make sure it hasn't gone moldy or rancid, if so discard and wash suet holder.

Remember to have a fresh safe water source close by too!

Happy bird watching!

If you are referring to the thrush known as the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), the reason it doesn’t eat your seed and suet is because these birds predominantly eat small fleshy fruits and a variety of small invertebrates. Robins love earthworms and you’ll see the, combing lawns and open fields yanking earthworms from the softened ground of spring. They also enjoy a variety of beetle grubs and caterpillars. They prefer their insects on the softer or smaller side. They are really good at scratching through fallen leaves to locate small invertebrate prey.

They do not go for the suet, because they cannot negotiate with mesh or wire-style suet feeders. They are ground feeders and won’t even attempt to hang from a suet feeder like a woodpecker might. Even if they found a block of suet lying on the ground, they would ignore it unless it were jam-packed with dried berry fruits, like currents, maybe raisins, or dried cranberries.

It depends entirely on the species of bird and how they are adapted for feeding. Some birds are well adapted to feeding from a hanging feeder, because this posture is essentially what they do every day to feed out in nature. Some birds are adapted for feeding almost entirely on the ground and will not even perceive the hanging feeder as something they might have access to for food.

At my house, I have hanging feeders for the small birds that are acrobatic and easily come to the feeders, grab a perch or hang on the side of the one made from wire mesh, grab a seed and fly off to open the seed and gets the nutritious stuff from inside. At these feeders you’ll find finches & goldfinches, chickadees, titmice, 2 species of nuthatches, and the smallest of my woodpeckers (the Downey).

I also scatter food on the ground and the top of my wide deck rails for the doves, ground-feeding sparrows, juncos, and a number of other species.

I have a hanging suet feeder with a long “tail” of grooved wood on its bottom that best serves the woodpeckers. I have 6 species that visit. 3 visit every day; the rest visit often enough for me to see them a few yes a week or so. The chickadees

I have several species that are “generalist” feeders that can feed from the hanging feeders, but prefer a feeder on a pedestal/post or from the ground. My cardinals fit that bill (to pardon the pun).

Some birds would be able to feed from a hanging feeder…if it were large enough; but I keep my hanging feeders for my smaller birds on purpose—stop prevent invasions by grackles, starlings, and jays, as well as reduce the depredations of squirrels and raccoons. My jays feed from the ground or from the flat deck rail. The grackles don’t seem interested once they find they fon’t fit the hanging feeders, can seem to make the suet feeder work, and don’t find the kind of seeds they liked on the ground. The story is similar for the starlings that come by twice a year in very large flocks.

We have a good population of American robins around here. We also get migrating thrushes (3 species) for weeks at a time. I have 2 species of wrens I dearly love to have around—as well as perhaps 20 more species I (lots of warblers) that I see on my property (mostly wooded), but never see at a feeder.

These birds are predominantly insect-eaters that are on the constantly hunt for prey. These birds never (or rarely) eat seed products, so no matter how I offer the seed material, these birds will never feed from my feeders. The closest I get is when my charming little Carolina Wrens visit a near empty feeder to explore it to pick off spiders that might be trying to find a productive ambush site there.

If you are NOT seeing birds at your hanging feeder, there are several possible reasons, but the 4 biggest reasons are:

1. They are not adapted to feed in that manner,
2. The food you are offering is not preferred by the species you have around your area,
3. they may not be able to crack open the seeds you are offering (often true of cheap “wild bird” food), or
4. your feeder is placed somewhere that makes the birds uneasy or feel “unsafe.”

Depends on the birds. I put my seed, two different mixtures in the bottom of a plastic egg carton. The seed is easy for any bird to pick up with their beak and it doesn’t fall. I used to use bird feeders, but my Sterling’s Jays pushed all the seed to the ground looking for the kind they liked. This way, the Ring Neck Doves can eat because doves won’t eat from a feeder. I just wired the carton bottom to the deck railing. I’ve gotten more birds this way, especially migrating birds in the spring and fall.

Also, you might not have put out seed any of your local birds like. I mix wild bird seed with a fruit and nut mixture for birds. Even the finches like it. You will get more finches with thistle and a thistle feeder. I had 25 one day.

My windows are in my building’s rear wall and face the rear-wall windows of another building. A woman on the third floor of that building feeds the birds every morning on the ledge outside her kitchen window.

When I feed my cats at the crack of dawn the local goodfeathers (pigeons) arrive, coo to each other, and perch on the power line that runs parallel to both buildings. They face her window. When she puts out the seed they wait until she closes the window then flock over a half dozen at a time to eat. Some go to the pavement below to get the seeds that fall off. When all the seed is gone they fly off in the same direction.

NYC pigeons are very smart.

In a suet cage or smeared on a pine cone, in a coconut shell, or another base, your peanut butter mixture with its other ingredients can replace animal-derived suet or lard for a winter bird feeder. You can hang your suet feeder or cage solution on a branch, from a pole, or in another location in your garden

Robins feed on insects (especially beetles) and worms. You might notice one following you about as your dig up your garden hoping to nab a few worms as you unearth them. Robins can also eat fruit, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins. They particularly enjoy mealworms

There has been speculation that feeding birds can have an impact of bird migration, possibly delaying it, but evidence has shown that not to be the case. It is fine to feed birds year-round. In fact, Project FeederWatch, a program created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, encourages Citizen Scientists to feed and monitor backyard birds throughout the winter.

It is true that, when natural food is plentiful (as in Spring) you’ll see fewer birds at your feeders, but when the ground is frozen or snow covered, your feeders will often get mobbed.

I live in the Northeast and I have seed and suet available year-round and we keep our hummingbird feeders up into early Winter (after October any hummers we see are likely to be the rarer species). Also keep water available, if it freezes where you live, providing a heated birdbath will result in many more visitors, including bluebirds…

All the birds which are there will come to eat.They will do so, until they are satisfied,or the food is finished.

Selecting the optimal food for birds is contingent upon their specific species and natural dietary habits. While various birds possess distinct nutritional requirements, adhering to general guidelines can facilitate the provision of suitable sustenance:

1. Assortment of Birdseed: A blend of seeds, such as sunflower, safflower, millet, and cracked corn, is often favored by many backyard bird species. Diversifying the seed mix can attract a wide array of avian varieties.

2. Nectar Offering: Nectar appeals to hummingbirds and orioles. To create nectar, combine four parts water with one part white granulated sugar. Refrain from incorporating red food coloring, as it can prove detrimental to these birds.

3. Fruit Portions: Tender slices of fresh fruits like apples, oranges, and berries are enticing to certain bird species that incorporate fruits into their diet.

4. Insects and Mealworms: Insects comprise an essential protein source, especially during breeding seasons. Live mealworms or dehydrated insects are excellent protein-rich choices.

5. Suet Blocks: Suet blocks or cakes, derived from animal fats, furnish high-energy sustenance, particularly beneficial in colder periods when birds require additional energy for warmth.

6. Peanut Offerings: Peanuts captivate birds like jays, woodpeckers, and chickadees. Employ unsalted, shelled peanuts or peanut fragments.

7. Cracked Corn: Ground-foraging birds such as sparrows and doves relish cracked corn, suitable for platform feeders or ground distribution.

8. Vegetable Morsels: Certain birds may derive enjoyment from bite-sized vegetable fragments, including carrots or peas, particularly during specific seasons.

Maintenance Routines: Routinely sanitize and keep feeders dry to avert the proliferation of mold and bacteria, which can imperil birds.

Sustained Consistency: Birds hinge on a steady sustenance source, especially in wintry conditions when natural nourishment might be scarce. Maintaining a consistent feeding regimen is advisable.

Observational Adjustments: Monitor the pace at which food is being consumed. Swift depletion may necessitate more frequent replenishing.

Seasonal Adaptations: Tailor feeding practices to account for seasonal fluctuations. Birds may necessitate augmented sustenance during colder months or breeding seasons.

Avoid Overabundance: Excessive provisioning can lead to waste accumulation and attract undesired pests.

The birds like the suet. Many birds that are purely insect-eaters, like warblers and bluebirds, will come to suet when they won’t come to seed feeders. It’s the fat that they like.

I don’t put seeds in the homemade suet I make. I put vegetable shortening, peanut butter, corn meal, oatmeal, sometimes crushed-up cereal, and whole wheat flour to bind it together. It attracts a large variety of woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, bluebirds, warblers, and kinglets, all birds that do not eat seeds.

I also put up several feeders that have only seeds, and those attract finches, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and others. Sometimes those birds come to the suet also.

Suet is loved by nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees, cardinals, and most insect-eating birds. You can use almost any seed or grain, mixed with beef fat, lard, or natural peanut butter. A basic suet combines equal parts of beef fat and assorted birdseed.

Bird Food Recipe: Suet

Note the recipe cautions for types of suet cakes in warm weather. And since birds are often insect consumers, and even pollinators, it is best to back off feeding them in seasons when their natural foods are plentiful so they don’t just get to be fat birds without working for it a bit. ;^D

Caution: if you are in bear territory, Suet cakes can be a sure draw for them; as well as some other less than desirables, like raccoons and rats.

Paying more money or falling for attractive fancy name brand packaging doesnt neccesarily mean “ better” product. Look for the nutrient content as a basic guide. It's the nutritional value, type and quality of suet that matters. Some companies use low grade fats that dont hold up very long outside. A very small part of the directions for use will indicate their product has to be sheltered or protected from rain or direct sun. Dont recommend you allow presentation or appearance to entice you to buy, the “cute" shaped bell,squirrel plastic / metal or other decorative products just because it “looks" good. Some come packed with bird seeds, you think you're doing the birds a favor. I would buy suet and the seed separate, putting out what bird seeds are actually useful. Much of seeds used are “filler" seeds, that most birds dont eat. If you have to, buy several, put them out, see which ones the birds take to and consume, and last longest where you hang em. Check reviews on the internet, post your own from experience, perhaps others would benefit from your experience.

I have put bird feeder and it's always filled with pearl millet (bajra). Then also i don't know why the sparrows in my area (Airoli, Navi Mumbai) like to eat money plant leaves. Either they find it delicious as side dish or they eat it as a medicine to clean their stomach.

Anybody who has experienced above, do share it here.

I have Cardinals, Blue Jays, assorted Tits, and Chickadees regularly visiting my feeders.

Some little Chickadees have Tits

Along with at least two conttontails and five otherwise unassociated arboreal rodent's, who also regularly bide a wee while consuming unhulled peanuts and sunflower seed from their bribery bowl.

And not a single organism's offered an orgasm after, oddly enough, my nine months of residency in my glad sylvan glade. 🤔

Thank goodness for onanism.

I have cum to the conclusion that Life is considerably more satisfying when a fellow keeps his hands full…

NO one expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

.

Originally asked:

”Do birds come to you if you feed them?”