Nuthatches eat upside down, which is why they take to suet so readily. The Nuthatch suet feeder is built like a small hanging lantern, with a roof, a loop at the top and nuthatches on branches cast into the sides. It’s the feeder we point people to when they want woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches rather than the usual crowd of sparrows.

Lantern shape, bird detail

The roof keeps rain off the suet, and the hanging loop takes a hook or a length of chain. The sides carry the nuthatch-and-branch design in relief, so the feeder looks like a garden ornament even when it’s empty. Because the birds cling to the outside, you get a clear view of them while they eat.

Two finishes for the Nuthatch suet feeder

Copper Verdigris is the blue-green of weathered copper and disappears nicely into foliage. French Bronze is a warm, deep brown that stands out against snow and bare branches in winter, which is when suet feeders earn their keep. Both use the same coating.

What it’s made of

Every Nuthatch suet feeder is cast in the USA from recycled aluminum. Suet is greasy, feeders get scrubbed, and aluminum doesn’t rust under that treatment. The coating’s warranty runs five years. Wash it with warm soapy water between cakes.

Hang it from a branch, a shepherd’s hook or a porch bracket, high enough that squirrels have to work for it. Because there’s no personalization, it can go straight to a gift recipient.

The bird feeders category has oak leaf and pinecone versions of this same lantern, plus a dragonfly seed feeder. Fresh water pulls birds in year-round, so a cast bird bath nearby makes the Nuthatch suet feeder busier.