In February central Texas experienced an unexpected deep freeze. Experts reported adverse effects on wildlife including sea turtles, fish, monarchs, and birds. Goose Pond Sanctuary and partners fledged 1,254 songbirds from boxes in 2020 (5.2 per box) and 1,031 in 2021 (4.2 per box). Bluebird trail monitor at Black Earth and Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) member Anne Wick submitted this concerning observation to the Bird Chatline in late April:

*An Eastern Bluebird pair scopes out their new digs. Photo by Arlene Koziol*

“I monitor 125 bluebird nest boxes here in Western Dane County and have also banded bluebirds from those nestboxes the past 25 years. Last year (2020) at this time, I had 13 Eastern Bluebird nests with no eggs, 40 bluebird nests with eggs and 1 bluebird nest with young (so approximately 54 active pairs). This year (2021, this past week), I found only 7 bluebird nests with no eggs, 16 bluebird nests with eggs and 1 bluebird nest with newly hatched young (so approximately 24 active pairs).”

Sally Keyel reported fledging 35 bluebirds in 2020 and zero in 2021. House wrens and black-capped chickadees also showed steep declines between 2020 and 2021, but not all sites reflected this negative trend. Cherokee Country Club, Pleasant Valley Conservancy, and Pope Farm Conservancy reported fledging almost the exact same number of bluebirds in 2020 and 2021. Total tree swallow numbers were similar to those found in 2020. While we fledge a lot of songbirds, it’s important to remember that our numbers represent a very small sample regarding the range and overall population size of these species. We await the 2021 BRAW report on bluebird numbers to better understand the change in the Wisconsin bluebird population. Find the 2020 report here.

Jerry Martin sits with his incredible songbird nest box load! Photo by Mark Martin

The Good News

Bluebirds and other songbirds that inhabit our boxes have relatively large population sizes and have weathered these stochastic events for thousands of years. Several sources this fall have reported strong bluebird numbers in suitable habitat.

In 2010 Jerry Martin built and delivered over 250 songbird boxes and Eagle Scout Hunter Crawford contributed 100 boxes in 2018. Most of these are in use, and we’ll need more soon. Fourteen new boxes will be installed at the Kestrel Ridge Golf Course in time for the 2021 nesting season thanks to BRAW Membership Coordinator Val Van Winkle.

*Eagle Scout Hunter Crawford (left) and Mark Martin (right) stand with the songbird nest boxes Hunter made for his Eagle Scout project. Photo by Susan Foote-Martin*

How You Can Help

Install songbird boxes - Whether you install a single box at your home or set up an extensive trail at your local greenspace, every box counts! There are several acceptable box designs. Find plans recommended by BRAW here.
Join BRAW - As a member, you’ll receive their quarterly newsletter while contributing directly to songbird conservation.
Volunteer with or donate to local conservation organizations - Songbird boxes provide nest sites, but the importance of the habitat in which they are placed cannot be overstated.
Report your observations - Citizen science data collection is crucial to monitoring bird populations. Add your observations to eBird!

Thank you to Goose Pond volunteers, partner organizations, and all who contribute to the songbird box program.