Offering suet is a great way to increase bird diversity to your backyard year-round. Suet is of course a favorite treat for woodpeckers, but it also can attract bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, catbirds, mockingbirds, orioles, and even warblers! As the temperature warms, switch from regular suet to no-melt suet dough to help feed hungry fledglings. In yards where squirrels are a problem, try feeding pure suet or hot pepper suet.

Suet feeders are not just for suet cakes. They work just as well with cakes of compressed seeds, nuts, and mealworms, or as fruit feeders. Try filling them with nesting material in the spring as birds are busily constructing their nests (just be sure to wash used feeders first).