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When you think about feeding suet to wild birds, it’s easy to consider it as a food to help the birds through the winter, but there are a number of major benefits for the birds if you choose to feed them this high-energy food source in the spring.

Suet provides a high-calorie source of energy that helps them manage the physical toll of the breeding season. Raising young is probably the most energy-sapping activity that most birds take part in each year, so being able to make use of what could be thought of as ‘easy calories’ will not only help them keep their own energy levels up but, for some species, could also help them save the high-protein insects they find for their growing chicks. And with many species, like Robins and Blackbirds, attempting multiple broods per season, offering suet throughout spring also helps them recover quickly from the first round of nesting to start the second brood. Once fledglings leave the nest, they need to put on weight rapidly, so being able to eat soft suet is not only easy for young birds, but is also easier for them to digest. As a result, it also helps them build the fat reserves needed for their first tentative steps (or flights) into the world beyond their nests. For birds nesting close to sources of food, having a high-energy food source nearby could also reduce the time parent birds spend away from the nest. This, in turn, may also lead to higher survival rates for the chicks.

Suet bird food comes in a variety of forms, as can be seen here, but it generally falls into three categories: pellets or fat balls or blocks. With pellets being bite-sized, a bird can grab one and fly away immediately, reducing the time they are vulnerable to predators at the feeder. Pellets can also be placed in mesh feeders. They can also be offered to ground feeding birds, such as Robins and Dunnocks, who may struggle with hanging fat ball holders. However, ground feeding suet needs to be maintained carefully, especially in bad weather, as it can quickly spoil. s are also good when mixed withavailable with dried mealworms. The mealworm suet blocks can be highly effective at attracting insect-eating birds during the summer.

Fat balls and blocks tend to be harder and take longer to break apart, which makes them better for clinging birds like woodpeckers, Starlings, and tits who enjoy the challenge of picking at a larger source. Fat balls are often thought of as more economical, though avoid cheap ones as they can sometimes contain cheap filler ingredients that birds will simply discard.

Whatever you choose to use, the birds will ultimately decide which ones are right for them, as they will choose the food that gives the most energy for the least amount of effort. When feeding in a garden, suet pellets tend to disappear faster. They are easier for small beaks to manage, they don’t require the bird to work as hard as a compressed fat ball does, and they can be fed to chicks more easily by the parents.

If you do decide to offer fat balls, avoid mesh bags. If the ones you buy come in plastic nets, remove them. They are notorious for trapping bird legs and causing injury. While you are offering suet-based food, check for rancidity as high heat can make fat go rancid quickly. If the suet smells “off” or looks oily, throw it away. And as always, water is key. High-protein and high-fat diets make birds thirsty, so always keep a clean bird bath nearby.