Undoubtedly, birds love suet feeders. So, it’s an excellent idea to hang a suet feeder in your garden for the little souls. However, protecting the feeder from invaders can be challenging until you turn them at the perfect height. Now you might be thinking about the best measurement to hang a suet feeder on your property. This article is all about addressing your concern. Let’s dive in!
How high to hang suet feeders?
The height of suet feeders depends on several conditions. First, you can focus on a specific problem before finding the correct size of suet feeders. Let’s discuss some of these situations and find the proper height of suet feeders for your backyard!
General off-the-ground height
You cannot place the suet feeder on the ground and expect birds to visit it. Most birds fear predators and won’t land on your suet feeder if it’s kept on the floor. So, it’s best to hang the suet feeder off the ground at some height. However, your birdies won’t come to eat the suet if the feeder hangs too low. Thus, what’s the best distance to hang the suet feeder from the ground?
The best height to hang a suet feeder for the birds is six to seven feet from the ground. It’s convenient for the birds to peacefully eat from your feeder without worrying about potential predators like cats and coyotes.
Protecting invader attacks
Do you think that only birds love suet? If yes, you are highly mistaken! Many invaders like suet and might even steal away your suet feeders at night. Some animals like raccoons are nocturnal and find food at night. These species can visit your property and smell suet from a distance. Consequently, they can attack the feeders and take away the suet. It happens more frequently if you don’t hang the suet feeder at an appropriate distance from the ground.
So, what should be the height of hanging your suet feeder to keep away invaders? You can hang the bird feeder 6-7 feet above the ground on a smooth, polished pole half an inch in diameter. Unfortunately, raccoons cannot climb such high and soft poles. So, you can safeguard your suet feeders.
Keeping suet away from squirrels on branches
Another invader in your suet feeder is squirrels. These creatures often attack the suet feeders and enjoy the meal, depriving the birds of a nourishing food source. Squirrels can indeed climb anywhere and attack the feeders. So, is it possible to prevent them from eating your suet? Yes, you can hang the feeders at such a height that the squirrels can’t eat your fat.
Following the golden 5-7-9 ratio, hang your feeder above the ground to safeguard it from ominous birds and wild animals, especially squirrels. Most squirrels won’t be able to approach your feeder if it is 5 feet above the ground, 7 feet away from each limb or tree, and 9 feet below the overhang.
Avoiding birds hitting against windows
Each year, window crashes claim the lives of many birds. The primary cause of their demise is hitting their skull against the window while flying rapidly. They think that as long as they can see out the window, they can soar without stopping in their tiny minds.
Feeders should be at least 3 feet or even 30 feet away from your window to prevent bird collisions. Your birds will receive the best possible defense against potential mishaps in either scenario.
Apart from targeting the common problems, you can hang the suet feeders to attract specific bird species. For that, it’s better to learn the preferred suet feeder height according to the bird type. The most appropriate suet feeder heights for the familiar feeder visitors are as in below table. The first column is type of bird and second column is suggested height for hanging the suet feeder.
| Type of Bird | Hanging Height for Suet Feeder |
| Cardinals and finches | These birds feed at lower levels– 5-6 feet or eye-level is the best feeder hanging height for them. |
| Woodpeckers | These dwell higher on trees. Suggested height is 6-10 feet. |
| Hummingbirds | They feed on flowering bushes and vines like snapdragons. Suggested height to hang the feeder is 3-6 feet. |
| Sparrows and towhees | These are ground feeders – 5-10 feet. |
| Chickadees and titmice | They feed on mid-level tree feeders – 5-10 feet. |
| Bluebirds | Bluebirds prefer ground and mid-level feeding – 5-7 feet. |
| Orioles | Typically feed in bushes and trees – 6-10 feet. |
Best place to hang a suet feeder
The best place to hang suet feeders depends on the bird’s nature and specific attributes. Some of the places you can consider are as below.
Close to Trees
Suet-loving birds typically browse in trees, so if the suet feeder is put close to trees, they will find it more quickly and feel more comfortable visiting.
In the Shade
On warm days, suet can quickly melt and become sticky, making it less appealing to birds. A suet feeder will keep the food firmer for better feeding if placed in the shade.
In a Quiet Place
The best place for a suet feeder is somewhere quieter while still being visible to other feeders because most suet-loving birds can be shy and may panic quickly at a busy feeding station.
With a Good View
Always hang a suet feeder where birds can see it easily, even when flying or engaged in other activities.
How to hang a suet feeder?
We have arrived at the final checkpoint. Do you want to learn how to hang a suet feeder? Here you go!
- You can buy high-quality suet that provides the birds with the required carbohydrate and energy.
- Also, get a suet feeder with a cage to hold the suet in place for the birds to eat comfortably.
- Install the feeder on branches or poles by considering the above points.
- Replace the suet every 1-2 days to give the birds a fresh food supply.
Do you want to get a visual explanation of how to hang suet feeders? Here’s a video reference for you!
Conclusion
Suet feeders are highly efficient when you hang them at the best height. So, are you planning to buy and install suet feeders for the birdies? It is best to consider the above points and hang the feeder at the appropriate height to reduce chaos and protect the suet only for your chirpy visitors.
