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Welcome to the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW)!

“As a nonprofit organization, we are dedicated to preserving and enhancing bluebird populations throughout Wisconsin.”

  BRAW is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is  52-1542503.  

We are accepting 2024 Nesting Reports

 Please send in your report(s) by the October 31 deadline. 

  BLUEBIRD VIDEO SERIES
There are 10 videos in this series.   They are intended for:
  • People interested learning about bluebirds and how to attract them to your backyard.
  • People want to learn how to set up a bluebird nest box or a trail.
  • People seeking to refresh their bluebirding knowledge.
Bluebird Facts: Learn about BLUEBIRDS! | Animal Fact Files
04:20

Bluebird Facts: Learn about BLUEBIRDS! | Animal Fact Files

There are three bluebird species, how many do you know? Have you ever seen a bluebird in the wild? Learn about bluebirds in this bluebird facts video! Find out more facts with Animal Fact Files! Scientific Name: Genus - Sialia Range: Alaska and Canada to Mexico and Honduras (depending on the species) Habitat: open grasslands and forest edges Size: 7 inches (18cm) long, 1 ounce (30g) in weight Diet: beetle grubs, grasshoppers, spiders, crickets, berries, etc. Threats: raccoons, chipmunks, snakes, fire ants, non-native nest competitors like starlings and house sparrows Lifespan: 5-10 years (though high mortality in first year lowers the average) ✨ Animal Fact Files Patreon Supporters get early access to videos, their requests made first, exclusive content, and more! ✨ 👉 https://www.patreon.com/animalfactfiles There's more to learn! Exclusive videos on social media: 🎵 TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@animalfactfilesyt 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/animalfactfiles 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/animalfactfiles 📚 Facebook - https://facebook.com/animalfactfiles --- Bluebird SPECIES 0:00 Bluebird RANGE 0:39 Bluebird SONG 1:19 Bluebird LIFE CYCLE 1:40 Bluebird THREATS 2:43 Bluebirds LOVE FIRE 3:04 Bluebird SIZE 3:17 Bluebird HABITAT 3:27 Bluebird DIET 3:47 Thanks / Outro 4:05 --- Image and Video Credits: JPBILLINGSLEYJR - https://freesound.org/people/JPBILLINGSLEYJR/sounds/559627 Jonathon Jongsma - https://xeno-canto.org/79976 ; https://xeno-canto.org/254430 Ryan Winkleman - https://xeno-canto.org/322143 Robert Nunnally - https://www.flickr.com/photos/46183897@N00/18659926970 Andre Provost - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ste-rose/27254407371 Elaine R. Wilson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain_Bluebird.jpg Dick Daniels - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain_Bluebird_(Sialia_currucoides)_RWD.jpg - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eastern_Bluebird_RWD.jpg rbrausse - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sialia_currucoides_distribution.png ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sialia_mexicana_distribution.png ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sialia_sialis_distribution.png Basil - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bluebird_eggs.png Blalonde - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Western_bluebird_(male).jpg Sarah Stierch - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_bluebird_in_Sonoma_-_California_-_Sarah_Stierch_-_B.jpg Andy Morffew - https://www.flickr.com/photos/andymorffew/12002263164 Walter Siegmund - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sialia_mexicana_07094.JPG William H. Majoros - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eastern_Bluebird_4.jpg Peter Wallack -https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain_Bluebird,_Santa_Fe.jpg Lake Metroparks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl755DZ9sEU Ostdrossel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11Dxw5w4Hg ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o6S9V2e8go ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E66b1BLm94U GPH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih_fZCztcV0 COPYRIGHT FREE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SolQ1MuHdeQ "Footage used under Creative Commons License with Permission: Mountain Bluebird by KyZaK Media." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVdFvNppzRY Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W6SkR5OBqQ Birds Walking Down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHQNOaK0ItQ ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heEGait8wxc Research Credits: https://ebirdr.com/tree/genus/sialia https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sialia_sialis https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sialia_mexicana https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sialia_currucoides https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/lifehistory# http://www.thebsp.org/bluebird-facts.html #animalfactfiles #bluebird #bluebirdfacts
Tips on How to Attract an Eastern Bluebird  @BirdsWalkingDown
05:09

Tips on How to Attract an Eastern Bluebird @BirdsWalkingDown

In this video, I'm going to run through some tips to help attract Eastern Bluebirds to your backyard feeder. One thing to understand is that they are mainly insect eaters, except for over winter when they eat more fruit from native trees. Providing mealworms may work. A good thing to know is that they can spot an insect from 60 feet away, so if they are flying overhead or through your yard and see some movement from live mealworms in a feeder there is a better chance they'll stop by to check it out. Once they know your yard as a food source they will likely come back. Bluebirds will eat dried mealworms which are much easier to deal with but it may take some training to get them on board. A trick to try is by starting out with live mealworms, then after a few days of consistency, begin adding in some dried ones, upping the amount you mix in each day until it's all you are providing. When offering them mealworms, feeders such as platform and tray are good choices that bluebirds can use easily. If there are problems with larger birds a dome feeder may help. By allowing you to lower the dome, it can be adjusted in a way that prohibits larger birds but will leave enough space for Bluebirds. One thing with mealworms is that they don't have a lot of calcium, something that Eastern Bluebirds need while breeding and raising babies. An easy way to help since many people have this on hand is to provide crushed roasted eggshells. This will help nesting females replenish the lost calcium. They will sometimes eat sunflower bits, it's not a big favorite of theirs though so in order to keep their attention make sure mealworms are present too. Overfall and winter, as well as early Spring, another food they will sometimes eat is suet, which can be put out on a platform in broken-up pieces. If you are not successfully attracting them with the foods mentioned, try adding a birdbath. Water is essential to the survival of all birds, using it to clean their pretty feathers and to keep themselves hydrated, especially on the really warm days of summer. This can be an effective way to keep Bluebirds coming, that is if you are able to keep up on giving the birdbath a quick cleaning and replacing the dirty water with fresh each day. Native trees and shrubs that produce berries or have the insects that they like will help to draw them in. Dogwood, Junipers, Sumac, and American elderberry are some that they like but there are many others, if you are going to plant it's best to get familiar with what species they like and what ones are typical for your location. Another way to attract them to your yard, mainly over Spring and Summer is to leave old trees if possible. Bluebirds are cavity nesters but they cannot dig out their own holes and instead rely on old woodpecker holes or natural tree cavities. Fret not though if dead old trees are not a viable option for you. Nestboxes specially designed for Bluebirds are readily used by them. Bluebird Nest Boxes can be bought at a store, online, or even build yourself. There is a ton of information online from good sources such as the Bluebird society and Cornell lab nest watch, on how to properly build and maintain these nest boxes as well as much more education. Thanks a bunch for watching, Happy Spring Birding. A lot of the videos were provided by the YouTube channel: Birds Walking Down https://www.youtube.com/c/BirdsWalkingDown Websites referenced Suet Recipes http://www.sialis.org/suet.htm Birdbath Cleaning https://thebirdfoodstore.com/2014/07/31/follow-these-tips-on-how-to-clean-your-birdbath/ Nestbox Information North American Bluebird Society http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/ Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nest Watch https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/eastern-bluebird/ Photos and videos from free use websites: The individuals' names can be found on their respective photo/video (licenses below) Canva.com https://www.canva.com/policies/free-media Pixabay.com https://pixabay.com/service/terms/#license Music Hulu Ukulele by Chris Haugen via YouTube Audio Library Thumbnail Photo of Bluebird portion only by Herb Ritter via canva.com/pro Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:40 Mealworms are a favorite 01:25 Types of feeders 01:43 Eggshells for calcium 02:02 Other foods they like 02:25 Homemade suet recipes 02:40 Birdbaths 03:15 Trees they like 04:05 Bluebird nestboxes 04:40 Closing thoughts ============================================ If you have a sick or injured bird in your possession I can not help this bird in any way it is strongly advised to contact a local vet or wildlife official before any decisions are made. It is very easy to do more harm than good when handling any wildlife. ============================================ For business inquiries please contact Jamie at lesleythebirdnerd@gmail.com ============================================== #LesleytheBirdNerd #HowToAttract #EasternBluebird
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