Suet feeder vs seed feeder

With a seed and suet feeder both sold well under ten dollars for a basic feeder, its certainly worth the effort to find out for yourself which is better.

When it comes to seed bird feeders versus a suet feeder, do consider prioritizing any seed feeder made to store all kinds of seeds. Of course wild birds will eat at suet feeders, only a seed feeder is a device for all year round, as it appeals to most birds who so happen to be seed-eaters at feeders.

Without burying the lead here, I can assure you a standard clear tube seed bird feeder will always remain a firm favorite among wild birds and backyard birders, which is you.

Why that is, because the birds who come to our bird feeders suspended off a pole or branch, are primarily seed-eating birds in the wild.

What seeds we replenish our seed bird feeders with are mostly millet, always sunflower seeds and thistle seeds - all of which are seeds eaten by various bird species in the wild.

Millet is the seeds of grasses and weeds ground feeding birds will eat; with sunflower seeds a firm favorite of many seed-eating birds overall; while the thistle - also similar to Nyjer or Niger seeds - is a favorite of Finches.

Suet can't really be classed as a favorite of any wild bird - and will always be secondary to seeds - but will always be popular with wild birds in all kinds of bird feeders.

On the plus side suet fat balls or suet cake bird feeders are more accessible when they hang, yet even more attainable when the suet feeder is stabilized.

Indeed, seed bird feeders do have accessibility issues but they can be made fully reachable when utilizing a seed spill tray to allow Finches and Cardinals to perch.

Frequency of use will also be a fully replenished seed bird feeder if its accessible and visible to visiting seed-eating birds. Yet I have found suet feeders to be completely ignored, that is until my seed feeders were completely emptied within days - and only then did the Sparrows begin to eat all the suet.

Frequency of use

Absolutely without a doubt you can expect your wild birds to feed on any accessible seed feeder, over a similar but more exposed suet feeder.

Suet feeders do appear more accessible although this isn't an invitation for wild birds to feed off a suet bird feeder only.

Birds know what they want to eat and therefore will mostly feed off a seed bird feeder.

Seed bird feeders is a favorite among backyard birders and the common backyard birds who come to it; due to seed feeders being popular among birds and easy to manage among backyard bird watchers.

Seeds are highly nutritious and often eaten all year round. With that, let's not forget seeds like sunflower or thistle seeds are foraged for by common birds in the wild - yet suet is a specialty wild bird feed that isn't natural at all.

When its comes to frequency of use, a bird seed feeder will beat any competition - with some exceptions - from a suet bird feeder of any type.

Let's not forget seeds feed most wild birds in the United States all year round, while suet is mostly eaten in winter or when the seeds have run dry in bird feeders... or at least that applies to my local wild birds.

Which food-type is a favorite

Of course wild bird seeds are mostly eaten by our local wild birds in nature, where seeds are taken in trees or plants and vegetation down on the ground.

Seed-eating birds like Finches, Sparrows, Chickadees, Titmouse, Junco's, Indigo Bunting, Cardinals and many others will have their favorite wild seeds - namely seeds of weeds and grasses, sunflower seeds - or thistle seeds in respect to finches.

Suet cakes, fat balls or pellets are not natural or will they be found in the wild, thus seeds remain a definite favorite.

What that means to you is, your current bird seed feeder suspended in a tree or on the bird feeder pole, will always remain a favorite bird feeder.

We can have the best of both world's when it comes to seeds and suet mind you, with seed-filled suet cakes or fat balls readily eaten at feeders.

Suet feeders still remain one of the favorites at the bird feeder pole, but its more likely to be eaten when prioritizing seed-filled suet.

Better yet, what about seed/mealworm-filled suet as wild birds tend to actually favor dried mealworms more over suet.

Remember, seeds and mealworms are natural and more recognizable as food found in the wild, and therefore will be eaten far more over suet.

Accessibility

When it comes to accessibility between a suet feeder and seed feeder, I will give suet bird feeders credit for being more accessible.

What is essentially an open to the elements cage, suet feeders can allow all wild birds to cling on the sides or stand on top of the suet feeder if its a stable one.

How this will benefit wild birds like Cardinals who feed at suet feeder but can struggle to due to accessibility issues - will eat suet if the suet feeder itself isn't so much freely hanging - but instead is stabilized or tied to an object in the yard.

Woodpeckers in particular like to eat all kinds of suet in what is a suet bird feeder with a tail prop; freely-hung suet feeders will actually be much harder for larger Red-headed to Pileated Woodpeckers to feed on.

Overall though, a classic fat ball or suet cake bird feeder remains accessible as its fully exposed.

Seed bird feeders vary in style and accessibility, and unfortunately most people will utilize what is a harder to access long tubular seed feeder with only a short perch to land on for birds who will otherwise struggle.

If you know what you're doing though you can buy a seed feeder with a seed spill tray attached to the bottom, thus opening up the seed feeder to both small and large birds.

Seed feeders can have a massive seed capacity thus larger seed feeders can be bought for busy with birds' gardens.

Suet feeders on the other hand are more standard with a maximum capacity of five fat balls in a fat ball bird feeder - or indeed one or two suet cakes in a suet cake bird feeder.

Conclude - seed feeder is a firm favorite

I would say there is some similarities between a suet feeder and seed feeder, but when they both come head to head, the seed feeder will win hands down.

Why that is, because most wild birds who visit all bird feeders are primarily seed-eating birds by heart. Meaning they feed on seeds foraged for off the ground, trees or in vegetation - something of course suet can't be.

Birds will prioritize seeds available in bird feeders because its critical to their diet.

In fact, a suet feeder could be fully ignored until the same returning wild birds eat up all the seeds; only then can birds be seen to eat their way through your now old suet.

Seeds of millet, sunflower seeds and thistle seeds will mostly be available to birds in a seed feeder, of which all these seed varieties are a favorite among common backyard birds.

Suet feeders will be visited every once in while, while at the same time birds will appreciate seed-filled suet cakes as a delightful bonus.

Seeds and suet is super cheap to buy and so are their bird feeders to store them in.

People will see a lot of success when providing seed bird feeders and suet cake or fat ball feeders, of which they can both be suspended close together to make it convenient on your visiting birds, who will return to the same feeders daily.

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