Upside-Down Suet Feeders: Feed Woodpeckers, Not Starlings

Why feeding upside down works

Woodpeckers and nuthatches spend their lives clinging to bark at odd angles. A Downy Woodpecker will hang under a branch to probe for insects without a second thought, and White-breasted Nuthatches routinely forage head-down. An upside-down suet feeder uses that. The suet cake sits in a cage with a solid roof and sides, so the only exposed face is the bottom. Birds have to cling to the wire and feed hanging underneath.

European Starlings can cling, but they are far less comfortable doing it. They prefer to stand on top of a suet cage and pull chunks out, and a flock of them can strip a full cake in a day. Take away the standing room and most starlings give up and move on. Grackles and House Sparrows behave in a similar way.

This is the cheapest starling fix there is. No special food, no electronics, just a feeder that suits the birds you want and not the ones you don't.

How well it actually works

It reduces starlings rather than eliminating them. Some individual starlings learn to hang and feed, especially in a hard winter when food is scarce. Expect a big drop in how fast the suet disappears, not a feeder no starling ever touches. Project FeederWatch participants regularly report the same thing: bottom-feeding suet holders are one of the more reliable ways to keep suet for woodpeckers.

Squirrels are a separate problem. An upside-down design does little to stop a squirrel, which can hang from its back feet. If squirrels are taking the suet, hang the feeder on a baffled pole or from a wire well away from launch points, or use hot-pepper suet. Birds don't taste capsaicin; mammals do.

Which suet to use

Standard square cakes fit most upside-down feeders. Pure rendered beef suet and suet mixed with peanuts or seed both work; woodpeckers take either. Cakes heavy in millet attract sparrows, which is the opposite of what you want here.

In summer, use no-melt or dough-style suet. Soft, melting suet can smear onto feathers, and a greasy feather loses some of its waterproofing. Many people simply stop offering suet in the hottest months and switch to a peanut or sunflower feeder. If you feed year-round, check the cake every few days and throw out anything that has gone rancid or soft.

Round suet balls are an alternative. In a ball cage, birds feed from all sides, so it is a less effective starling deterrent than a covered upside-down feeder, but woodpeckers and chickadees use them well and they are easier to refill.

Where to hang it

Woodpeckers find suet fastest near trees they already forage on. Hang the feeder 5 to 6 feet up on a trunk-side branch, on a post near mature trees, or from a pole within sight of woods. If you have a tree with a dead limb that woodpeckers drum on, that is the place.

Keep the feeder in partial shade, which keeps suet firmer. Give it a clear approach from below: birds feeding upside down fly up into it, so dense shrubs right underneath make it harder for them to land. If you already have a seed station, a suet feeder hung a few feet away spreads the birds out and reduces squabbling.

Cleaning and upkeep

Suet leaves grease on the cage. Every few cakes, take the feeder down and scrub it with hot soapy water, then rinse and dry it before refilling. Grease that builds up collects dirt and mould, and a sticky cage can foul feathers. Wooden frames absorb fat over time; a metal or coated-wire feeder is easier to keep clean.

Watch for wear on the cage wire. Woodpeckers hammer as they feed, and a cheap thin wire can bend open enough for starlings to get a foothold. Replace a feeder that no longer closes properly.

If you run more than one suet feeder, rotate them: one in use, one soaking clean. Keeping a spare also means the woodpeckers that have learned your feeding spot never find it empty, which matters most in a cold snap when birds burn through fat reserves overnight and need to refuel early in the morning.

Frequently asked

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