Suet is a great way to attract a variety of birds to your yard in the winter. To figure out who's who,听use this guide to work your way through the usual suspects. And to keep improving your ID skills, be sure to download our free 爆料公社 bird guide app.听
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If your mystery bird is tiny and round,听with a grayish back, black cap, white cheeks, and a black chin,听you've got yourself a chickadee. In the northern states, it would be a Black-capped Chickadee. From Philadelphia southward, it would be the look-alike Carolina Chickadee. Out west, it might be a Mountain Chickadee or Chestnut-backed Chickadee. They听are all very common yard birds.
Tufted Titmouse
Now, if your听bird is tiny and almost听all gray,听with a small crest and a听blot of black above its squat听beak,听a听Tufted Titmouse听has stopped by your suet. A familiar听backyard bird in the eastern U.S., the Titmouse can also be identified by the听rusty wash听under its听wings.听
White-Breasted Nuthatch听
A bit larger than the titmouse and chickadee is the听White-breasted Nuthatch. This bird has a听white-to-gray breast, slate back, and black on its cap and nape.听Also notable:听their听long, thin听beaks and tendency to scale trees and hang from feeders while upside down.听
Carolina Wren听听
Hard to confuse this little brown bird听with the others here, but听Carolina Wrens听will happily听swing by a听suet feeder. These chatty birds听can be quickly identified by the bright white lines above their eyes, a听slightly curved beak, and their upright tails, which they flick about as they busily听hop around.听
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Downy Woodpecker听
Woodpeckers are some of the most frequent suet听guests,听and the听Downy Woodpecker听is probably the most frequent. The smallest of the North American听woodpeckers, it听has black听and听white markings听on its face, wings, and back. Males also听have a听bit of red on听the back of their heads. Downy Woodpeckers听are often confused with the larger听Hairy Woodpecker.听
Hairy Woodpecker听
Speaking of the听Hairy Woodpecker, it is probably the second most common听woodpecker to visit feeders after the smaller Downy. The two birds also look very similar. To decide which you have, consider听the听beak听and the size of the bird in question. As a general rule, if you have a classic suet cage and the bird is roughly the same length听or smaller, you听have a Downy. If the bird is听a bit longer听than听the cage听and has a听thicker听bill, it's a听Hairy. As with the Downy, male听Hairy Woodpeckers have听red on the back of their heads.听
Red-bellied Woodpecker听
Because of its distinguishing听bright red cap, the听Red-bellied Woodpecker听is sometimes confused with the Red-headed Woodpecker. But when compared side by side,听they are very different听looking birds. Red-heads听are also not nearly as common.听An abundant听woodpecker in the eastern U.S., the Red-belly听is a听medium-size听woodpecker. In addition to its red cap, it听has a black-and-white striped听back and a wash of red on its creamy-gray听belly, which is how the bird got its听name.听
Northern Flicker听
One of the more striking birds you'll see around your backyard, the听Northern听Flicker听is a large woodpecker that often visits suet feeders.听With their spotted breasts, striped backs, black bib, and a flash of yellow or red in the wings when they fly, they are听stunning birds that look like nothing else hanging听from听your听suet feeder. Enjoy.听