WDNR Statewide Birding Report 4.3.08
Increasing numbers of bluebirds are returning to Wisconsin, and bluebirds will begin nesting soon. The March 27, 2008 Wisconsin DNR Outdoor Report contained some recommendations for placing bluebird houses that are outdated, based on the latest research on bluebird restoration in the state conducted by the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW), an organization established in 1986 to address an alarming drop in bluebird numbers in the state. In the 2007 nesting season, BRAW members recorded 28,244 bluebirds fledged from 7,800 nest boxes in Wisconsin, the most recorded in the nation. BRAW attributes these impressive production figures to management discoveries made over the last 22 years, some of which are different than previously established management practices. Research shows that 90 percent of boxes can attract bluebirds if properly placed. Proper bluebird management emphasizes: not pairing nest boxes and spreading them at least 100 yards apart; using predator guards on mounting posts; pointing nest box in a northeasterly, easterly, or southeasterly direction to maximize heat uptake in the months of April & May; and use of a shallow nest box with oval hole, and unvented in April and May. BRAW research indicates that “pairing” nest boxes actually encourages the production of tree swallows, a cavity nesting species that also commonly uses bluebird boxes, and decreases the production of bluebirds. By placing boxes close together, male and female bluebirds are encouraged to compete for nest sites, while spacing the boxes 100-plus yards apart reduces this competition. Complete instructions on constructing and placing bluebird nesting boxes can be found on the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin Web site at
http://www.braw.org.
