6 Best Woodpecker Feeders for Suet Cakes
Upside-down and tail-prop suet feeders attract woodpeckers while deterring starlings. We review 6 of the best models for your backyard birding success.
You hang a fresh suet cake, hoping to see a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker, and within an hour, it’s gone. A chattering, iridescent flock of European Starlings has descended and devoured the entire thing. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a waste of money and denies the birds you want to attract a critical source of energy. The solution isn’t to stop feeding suet, but to change your strategy with a feeder designed to outsmart the bullies.
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Keeping Starlings Off Your Woodpecker Suet
The key to deterring starlings lies in understanding a simple bit of bird anatomy. Starlings are built with feet better suited for perching and walking on the ground. They struggle to cling and hang upside down for any length of time.
Woodpeckers, along with their companions like nuthatches and chickadees, are natural acrobats. Their unique foot and body structure allows them to cling to vertical surfaces and hang upside down with ease. This fundamental difference is the principle behind every effective starling-proof suet feeder. The goal is to create a feeding station where only the clinging birds can comfortably access the food.
Two primary designs accomplish this: upside-down feeders and caged feeders. Upside-down feeders only have an opening on the bottom, forcing birds to hang to eat. Caged feeders place the suet inside a second, larger cage with openings too small for a starling’s body. No feeder is 100% foolproof, but these designs make it so difficult for starlings that they’ll almost always move on to an easier meal.
C&S EZ Fill: Simple Upside-Down Suet Feeder
If you’re looking for a straightforward, entry-level solution, this is it. The C&S EZ Fill is a classic wire suet cage with a solid top and an open bottom. Its effectiveness comes from its sheer simplicity; there’s no perch and no side access, forcing any bird that wants a meal to hang directly underneath.
This feeder is inexpensive, widely available, and it works. Smaller woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches will take to it almost immediately, while starlings will flap awkwardly for a moment before giving up. It’s a direct and effective application of the upside-down feeding principle without any extra bells and whistles.
The main tradeoff is its minimal design. The small roof offers little protection from the elements, meaning suet can get soaked in a downpour or melt quickly in direct summer sun. For the price, however, it’s an excellent starting point for anyone battling their first starling invasion.
Kettle Moraine Recycled Upside-Down Feeder
This feeder represents a significant step up in durability and design. Constructed from recycled plastic lumber, the Kettle Moraine feeder is built to withstand years of sun, rain, and snow without rotting, cracking, or fading. It’s a buy-it-once piece of equipment.
The most important feature is its large, overhanging roof. This provides superior protection for the suet cake, keeping it dry and shaded, which helps it last much longer. This roof also forces woodpeckers to hang even further underneath, making it virtually impossible for a less agile starling to reach the suet from the side.
Of course, this durability and improved design come at a higher price point. But if you’re committed to feeding woodpeckers long-term and are tired of replacing cheaper wooden feeders every few seasons, the investment pays for itself. It’s a practical choice for a high-traffic feeding station.
Nature’s Way Cedar Feeder Deters Starlings
For those who prefer a more natural aesthetic, the Nature’s Way Cedar Feeder offers an effective upside-down design in a classic wood construction. Made from insect- and rot-resistant cedar, it blends beautifully into a backyard environment while remaining highly functional. The design is simple, with a single suet cage accessible only from the bottom.
Like other upside-down feeders, it effectively leverages the clinging ability of woodpeckers to exclude starlings. The cedar roof provides decent weather protection, better than a basic wire model but not as extensive as the Kettle Moraine. It’s a solid middle-ground option that balances function, appearance, and price.
The primary consideration with any wooden feeder is its vulnerability to squirrels and the elements over time. While cedar is resilient, it can be chewed and will eventually weather. It’s a great choice, but be prepared for it to show its age more than a recycled plastic model.
Birds Choice Tail Prop Feeder for Large Birds
This feeder is specifically designed to solve a problem many standard suet feeders create: they aren’t built for big woodpeckers. Large birds like the Pileated, Red-bellied, and Hairy Woodpecker use their stiff tail feathers to brace against a surface for stability. Standard suet cages don’t give them a place to do this.
The Birds Choice feeder features an extended paddle below the suet cage. This "tail prop" gives larger woodpeckers the leverage they need to settle in and feed comfortably for extended periods. The feeder is still designed for upside-down access to deter starlings, but it caters to the physical needs of your largest and most impressive visitors.
This is a specialized piece of gear. If your yard primarily hosts smaller Downy Woodpeckers and chickadees, the tail prop is unnecessary. But if you live in an area with Pileated Woodpeckers and want to bring them in, a tail prop feeder is the single most effective tool for the job.
JCs Wildlife Double Suet Tail Prop Feeder
Taking the tail prop concept a step further, this feeder is built for capacity and convenience. It holds two suet cakes side-by-side, doubling the feeding time before you need to refill. This is a huge benefit during the dead of winter or migration season when birds are burning through calories.
Constructed from ultra-durable recycled poly-lumber, this feeder is heavy, rugged, and completely weatherproof. It won’t absorb water, host mold, or get chewed by squirrels. The double-capacity design combined with the tail prop makes it the ultimate feeding station for a yard with a healthy population of large woodpeckers.
The main considerations are its weight and cost. This is a substantial feeder that requires a very sturdy branch or mounting pole. It’s an investment, but for the serious bird feeder who needs to reduce refill frequency and attract the big birds, it’s one of the best options available.
Audubon Caged Suet Feeder Deters Grackles
This feeder uses a different strategy: exclusion by size. It features a standard suet cage enclosed within a larger, cage-like dome. The outer cage has 1.5-inch square openings, which are easy for smaller birds like Downy Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens to pass through.
The genius of this design is that it blocks not only starlings but also other large, aggressive birds like grackles and Blue Jays. It is also highly effective at stopping all but the most determined squirrels. If you have a problem with a wide variety of bully birds, a caged feeder is an excellent all-in-one solution.
The clear tradeoff is that it also excludes desirable large birds. A Pileated or Red-bellied Woodpecker simply won’t fit through the outer cage. You must decide which is the bigger priority: attracting the largest woodpeckers or protecting your suet from the widest range of thieves.
Choosing the Right Suet and Feeder Location
A starling-proof feeder is your best tool, but it works even better when combined with the right strategy. The type of suet you offer makes a huge difference. Starlings are attracted to cheap suet cakes that contain a lot of filler ingredients like millet, corn, and other grains. Stick to suet made from pure rendered beef fat, nuts, or insects, which is far less appealing to them.
Where you hang the feeder is just as important. Don’t place your suet feeder right next to your general-purpose seed feeders, as this is where starlings and other bully birds tend to congregate. Instead, hang it on its own, preferably closer to the trunk of a large tree or in a more sheltered, wooded area. This location feels safer to woodpeckers and makes it a less obvious target for passing flocks.
Finally, be mindful of the weather. In the heat of summer, suet can go rancid or melt into a greasy mess. A feeder with a good roof helps, but placing it in a spot that gets reliable afternoon shade is your best defense. You can also switch to "no-melt" suet formulas specifically designed for hot weather.
Outsmarting starlings isn’t about fighting them; it’s about using their own behavior against them. By selecting a feeder that caters to the natural clinging abilities of woodpeckers and placing it thoughtfully, you can ensure your suet cakes go to the birds you actually want to watch. It’s a simple change in equipment and location that yields a much more rewarding backyard birding experience.
