Wisconsin leads nation in fledging of bluebird chicks
MADISON – More bluebird chicks fledged out of nest boxes in Wisconsin last spring than in any other state in the nation, thanks in large part to a dedicated statewide cadre of volunteers who build and place the nest boxes and then closely tend and monitor them.
In the 2007 nesting season, volunteers reported that 28,244 bluebirds fledged from 7,800 nest boxes across Wisconsin, setting a new national record for the number of bluebirds fledged from a single state, according to Kent Hall, a retired University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point biology professor and a vice president of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW).
Hall notes BRAW is among the largest citizen science organizations in Wisconsin, numbering about 850 members located throughout the state. The organization was formed in 1986 when the Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Endangered Resources approached citizens about helping to reverse an alarming drop in bluebird numbers that was being measured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
At that time, biologists estimated that the eastern bluebird population had declined in its historic range by 90 percent during the preceding 50 years due to changes in agriculture practices, competition from the house sparrows and starlings, and the loss of nest sites, such as tree cavities and hollow wooden fence posts. Following a series of meetings, the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin was formed to monitor and increase the production of the bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds through a coordinated statewide nest box construction and monitoring program.
Twenty-two years later, in addition to fledging a record number of bluebirds, Hall says BRAW members recorded an additional 10,000 tree swallows, 2,000 wrens and 400 chickadees that fledged from Wisconsin nest boxes in 2007, for a total of nearly 41,000 songbirds fledged.
“These impressive production figures come after many years of data collection and analysis,” Hall says. The key when it comes to nest box success, Hall says, is “location, location, location.” BRAW research found that 90 percent of nest boxes can attract bluebirds if they are properly located.
Bluebirds need a territorial forage area of 3 to 21 acres of predominantly open habitat. Ideal sites have short, sparse grass with interspersed trees, such as cemeteries, golf courses, parks, roadsides, and railroad tracks.
Another key management principal that came out of BRAW research is that nest boxes should be spaced a minimum of 100 feet apart, and that they should not be placed in pairs, which has traditionally been considered a standard management practice in areas that also have high tree swallow populations. The theory was that by supplying a second nest site, competition between the two species is reduced because both species tend to compete for nesting sites more within their own species than they compete against other species. Therefore, by providing paired boxes, bluebirds could nest in one box while tree swallows could nest in the other.
However, Hall says, 10 years of detailed BRAW research and monitoring showed that when boxes are not paired bluebird production actually increased. Hall says that is probably because bluebirds are more territorial that tree swallows.
“By placing boxes close together, male and female bluebirds are encouraged to compete for nest sites, while spacing the boxes 100-plus yards reduces this competition,” he says.
BRAW has developed other management techniques include using predator guards on mounting posts, properly pointing nest box in the correct direction to the sun.
In addition, the association has coordinators in most counties of the state who conduct workshops, and share research findings and successful birding techniques with landowners and others who are interested in establishing bluebird nesting trails on their property or in their areas.
Hall says the BRAW board of directors has set a goal for this year of fledging more than 30,000 bluebirds in Wisconsin. People interested in learning more or becoming involved with bluebird restoration can contact BRAW through their Web site, [www.braw.org] (exit DNR) or by contacting one of the BRAW county coordinators (exit DNR) listed on the association's Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Hall, BRAW (715) 344-8081 or Sumner Matteson, DNR endangered resources - (608) 266-1571
