Pileated Woodpecker! And a Veggie Birding Dilemma

 

Yay! The Pileated Woodpecker is back! They are the most amazing birds. The biggest woodpecker in the Pacific Northwest, they actually have a specialized elevated brain casing so that they can use their beak as a chisel. Pileateds are natural carpenters and add to the ecosystem by creating nest cavities for other birds, including owls, during their search for bugs in bark.

Because Charlie and I are big bird nerds, we bought this specialized feeder for it. It's a suet feeder with a long tail prop so he can cling comfortably to the feeder. That is a specialized squirrel baffle on top because the larger tail prop makes this an easy feeder for squirrels to jump on and they will actually destroy the feeder over time. We had seen the pileated struggling to get food off our smaller suet feeder earlier in the fall. He would cling to the post of our deck and jump to the feeder and back. Not only did he not get much in the way of food, he vented his frustration on our deck posts. The pileated was the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker! We were a bit worried he would cause our deck to need replacement posts. So now we have the new feeder and no deck post problems.


While I am on the topic of bird feeding, I faced an interesting dilemma at Wild Birds Unlimited this last week. They are now offering a veggie cake "suet." The suet most birds get at the feeders is rendered beef fat filled with seeds, nuts and berries. It's a great resource for birds in winter and when they are prepping to nest. The veggie cake is made with hydrogenated soy bean oil. I inquired about the veggie suet and discovered that they are carrying it for vegetarian birders, but that they aren't sure about it overall - there are concerns about hydrogenated oil and its impacts on the birds and reports that birds don't seem as interested in it.

I have to say I was completely flummoxed by this. I love birds, helping to improve their habitat is a big motivator for me trying to be a greener person. I am very concerned that many bird species will become extinct in my life time. So I really didn't know what to do in this situation. Which suet to buy? I want to commit to vegetarian life beyond my diet, especially as I seriously doubt that suet comes from organic or certified humane facilities. But I want my backyard to still be filled with happy birds and to help them thrive in difficult conditions. For now, I opted to buy normal suet, after all I can't feed my (indoor) cats soy products. But I expect this will be a topic I revisit.