Suet Recipe to Lure Pileated Wood Peckers & Other Birds

Closeup of Pileated Wood Pecker

Recently, we were blessed by the presence of a Pileated Woodpecker who decide that our yard was his new playground. He comes every day now and drums on our Pine tree. We are thrilled to have him and created suet bird feeders to encourage him to stay as long as possible. Below is the suet recipe that we use to lure our friend, the Pileated Woodpecker and other birds to our yard.

Peanut Butter & Birdseed Suet Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of natural peanut butter (no salt)

2 cups of Lard or beef tallow

2 cups of birdseed

1 cup of cornmeal

1 cup of flour

1 cup of oatmeal

1 cup of mixed dry fruit

Make It:

1. In a large pot, melt your peanut butter and lard over a low flame. You only have to melt until it’s liquid and then turn the heat off.
2. Once the fat and peanut butter is melted, add each ingredient one at a time and mix well. Continue until all ingredients have been added.
3. Your mixture should be thick and not runny. If your mix is too runny, you can add more flour until it is thicker.

Tips & Tricks:

• This is a base recipe, you can try other ingredients or use what you have in your home. We found that this mix attracts woodpeckers. You may find it attracts other birds as well.
• Keep a journal to track which birds visit your bird feeder and what suet recipe you used to get them there.
• This recipe can be used to fill suet logs or made into cakes. To make a cake you can either use a form or free form shapes on a pan then refrigerate or freeze to firm.
• Discourage jays, grackles, starlings, or sparrows from munching on your suet by using an upside down suet bird feeder.
• Lard and tallow can be purchased in the grocery store. If you can’t find it check with the meat department. They will know where it is. You can also purchase it online at Amazon.
• Making suet with kids is very fun and rewarding. Make sure to have binoculars and a birding book on hand for when your feathered friends start visiting.