Hard fat, like suet, is far less likely to get on the bird. If they land on it, it will more easily get on their feet. If a bird accidently brushes this fat, it will more easily get onto the bird. Melt points matter! A soft fat that easily melts has a higher tendency to spread. The solution = use safe fats in the suets you feed and always feed suet inside a suet feeder that prevents direct access to the suet or accidental spreading (suggestions below).

Rehabilitators can get fats off birds, but rarely do we get a chance since dirty birds retreat to a safe tree and perish there. True suet, which is what I advise to feed, is actually hard to remove (thus why a caged feeder is imperative). Avian rehabilitators use a high solvent soap to remove some fats from feathers. Getting fats off is impossible for birds.įats and oils on feathers are difficult to remove and cannot be done by a bird. But, ultimately, a stressed life like this would not be long. A larger bird can live awhile just maintaining as a cold bird who has to eat more, preen more, and spend time shivering more (their way of creating heat). A bird without sufficient insulation and waterproofing, will spend hours trying to correct the feathers (preening), rather than eating. Hypothermia kills birds, and often in far less time than one can imagine. A birds' feathers are like a wet-suit create a 'hole' in that suit and you get water or cold air access causing the bird to become cold (called 'hypothermia'). Greasy birds are dead birds. Oils on feathers impair weatherproofing by interrupting the feathers' structural function. The more hard, dry, and crumbly the fat, the more fat falls off and less get stuck in birds' bills and feet. The softer the fat, the more fat gets spread. Fats also spread by a bird having residue on their bill and then preening.

The fat is then spread as birds use their feet to preen their heads and for scratching themselves. Birds get fats on them by landing directly on a suet ball or feeder and getting the fats onto their feet. The most dangerous fats for birds are the soft fats, those that are easily spread. This lack of weatherproofing and impairment in insulation is deadly in the winter, but also the summer. The fact is fats can get on birds' feathers and harm their ability to stay dry and warm. There are a lot of home-made suet recipes that are simply dangerous for birds, even deadly. Please be cautious about what you put out for birds.

Best suet feeder for birds