Suet cake
Suet cakes or fat balls are nutritional supplements for wild birds used in bird feeders.[1] They commonly consist of sunflower seeds and wheat or oat flakes mixed with suet, pork fat, or coconut oil. Further blends may also contain nuts, fruits, mealworms and other insects.[2] In North America, they are one of the most popular choices for bird food, after seed mixes.[3]
Next to balls, which are predominantly common in Northern and Central Europe, suet cakes may take various shapes such as rectangles, rings, or wheels.[2] Fat balls are often sold within a fine plastic net allowing their suspension, such as on branches or in bushes. The nets can, however, be a danger to other species, such as deer, who may find the balls and eat them whole.[4] Other forms of suet cakes can be placed within suspendable cages.[2]
Composition
[edit]Suet is the hard fat found around the kidneys and loins of cattle and sheep. Because animal fat is high in energy and easily digested, many birds feed on it, especially in winter.[5] Vegetarian suet cakes can also be fashioned using a mixture of shortening, nut oil, and corn meal.[6] This, however, can be dangerous, as corn and nuts can harbor bacteria.[5]
Suet can be bought from a store or made from scratch. Some companies may sell "no-melt" suet for use in hot areas; the lack of melting is achieved by adding flour and grains.[7] When suet is made from scratch, the maker can pack it into the crevices of pine cones to make a natural feeder.[8] Some bird watchers can even train wild birds to take suet from the hand.[9]
Species attracted
[edit]In North America, woodpeckers are the most likely birds to be seen at suet feeders,[7] with downy woodpeckers being the most frequently attracted.[10] Insect-eating birds, such as chickadees, wrens, titmice, and nuthatches are also especially fond of these feeders.[7] Still more species that are attracted to suet are Canada jays,[11] goldfinches, juncos, cardinals, thrushes, kinglets, bluebirds, and starlings.[12] As starlings are invasive in North America, some people may hang suet in a way that forces the bird to eat it upside down, since starlings cannot do this, but many native speices can.[5]
In addition to birds, peanut butter suet cakes are popular among northern flying squirrels, and have been used as bait by scientists to attract these squirrels for study.[13] Suet is also attractive to black bears, and in areas where bears are known to occur, homeowners are often warned not to leave suet cages up after bears awaken from hibernation.[14][15]
Negative effects
[edit]Woodpeckers that feed on suet year-round are prone to feather loss. This is because suet melts in warm weather, and the birds' head and breast can get matted with sticky melted suet, resulting in bald patches.[16] This can also suffocate eggs, as suet on the incubating bird's breast may clog the pores in eggs that allow oxygen to get in.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Minetor, Randi (2011). Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting And Identifying Birds. Guilford, CT, US: Globe Pequot Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7627-7166-0.
- ^ a b c Campbell, Scott D. (1989). "Nontypical and Do-It-Yourself Food Recommendations". Easy-to-make Bird Feeders for Woodworkers. New York: Dover Publications. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-0-486-25847-8.
Suet cake -wikipedia.
- ^ Horn, David J (14 May 2013). "A comparison of bird-feeding practices in the United States and Canada". Wildlife Society Bulletin. 37 (2): 293–300.
- ^ Häggström, Adreas (23 April 2018). "Pers varning – efter fyndet inuti djurets magsäck". www.expressen.se. Expressen. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d "About Suet, Mealworms, and Other Bird Foods". All About Birds. 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Make Your Own Suet". Audubon Society. 28 November 2016.
- ^ a b c Pelczar, Rita (13 December 2024). "When and How to Provide Suet for Birds as a Winter Superfood". Better Homes and Gardens.
- ^ Kress, Steve (November 2010). "The Audubon Guide to Winter Bird Feeding". Audubon Society.
- ^ Ball, Stanley C (October 1947). "Migration of Red-Brested Nutchatches in Gaspé". Ecological Monographs. 17 (4): 501–533.
- ^ Del-Colle, Andrew (27 December 2016). "What's That Bird at Your Suet Feeder?". Audubon Society.
- ^ Bryens, O.M (4 May 1928). "Notes on the Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis canadensis)". Bulletin of the Northeastern Bird-Banding Association.
- ^ "Suet | Baltimore County Library System". Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
- ^ Diggins, Corrinne A (28 June 2022). "Can camera traps be used to differentiate species of North American flying squirrels?". Wildlife Society Bulletin. 46 (3).
- ^ Woodford, Riley (June 2004). "Bird Feeders and Bears". Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
- ^ "Backyard Birdfeeders". Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
- ^ Jackson, Jerome A (1975). "A Potentially Harmful Effect of Suet on Woodpeckers". Bird-Banding. 46 (2): 131–134.
External links
[edit]- Suet cake recipes on the Baltimore Bird Club website
- What's That Bird at Your Suet Feeder? from the Audubon Society