Review: A Suet Log Feeder is Amazing at Attracting Woodpeckers

I’ve been feeding birds outside of my apartment for years. Different types of bird feeders come and go with the seasons (and whatever I happen to impulse-buy). But, one feeder is constantly hanging from my balcony: A Suet Log feeder. It’s been a constant success at drawing in Woodpeckers.

I wanted to write a post about my experience with these feeders, which are literally tree logs with holes in them to insert suet plugs. If you’re a bird feeding veteran and don’t have one of these feeders, it’s well worth adding it to your array. If you’re new, this is an easy type of feeder to maintain that’s popular for Woodpeckers. It can easily bring some variety to your yard, both in terms of how it looks and the birds it draws in!

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I love how effective my feeder is at drawing in Woodpeckers, but also Black-Capped Chickadees and Nuthatches. I’ve seen Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, and Red Bellied Woodpeckers regularly hanging on my suet log.

I don’t live in a great spot for Pileated Woodpeckers, but imagine they’d love a suet log feeder. It has plenty of space for them!

Some American Crows in my neighborhood are known to poke at this feeder for suet. Northern Cardinals, Sparrows, and Dark-Eyed Juncos will also gladly eat scraps of suet below the feeder from the ground.

Related Content: How to Attract Woodpeckers to a Feeder

I personally use a Birch Suet Log Feeder from the Minnesota All Season’s Wild Bird store. I love that it’s literally a log from birch tree with holes for suet. Woodpeckers can’t get enough of it. If you’re not in Minnesota or prefer to buy from Amazon, I found a similar looking Cedar Wood Suet Feeder linked here. That should do the trick!

Once you get a suet log feeder, you’ll need to fill it with suet plugs. Here’s a review on an affordable pack I recently tried that I liked.

You can also use a spreadable product like Bark Butter or peanut butter on a suet log feeder. I’ve had good luck using both.

These feeders tend to last me a while and they’re easy to maintain and clean, I just scrub out the holes with dish soap and warm water. Over time, they take some wear and tear from various squirrels and weather. So, I usually just buy a new one each year. The good news: They’re usually under $20. A cheap feeder!

What do you think? Do you use a suet log feeder or have questions on one? Leave any comments you’d like in the section below. Happy bird feeding!