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Protecting Wisconsin’s bluebirds through habitat restoration, education, and community science. Join BRAW and support native bird conservation statewide. Spring is Coming: Are You Ready? The bluebirds will return to Wisconsin in just a few short weeks! As we prepare for the 2026 nesting season, it is time to "Spring Forward" and get our trails ready. We’ve consolidated our most important checklists to help you start the season right. Get The Spring Checklist Open every nest box to remove old material and ensure they are still pointing East or Northeast. Spring Checklist Pre-season Nest Box Maintenance Repair any damaged boxes and ensure predator guards are secure. Nest Box Inspection Collect Monitoring Forms Get your recordkeeping ready to use. Download your new 2026 monitoring forms. Monitoring Forms Find your County Contact Verify your BRAW membership is up to date and download your new 2026 monitoring forms. Open Contact List Information Packet Number 6 A practical guide to attracting Eastern Bluebirds and other cavity‑nesting birds. Includes a visual guide to identify, eggs, nests, the young chicks, nest box plans and placement, and much more. The packet serve's as a hands-on reference for anyone interested successful bluebird conservation in a backyard or on a bluebird trail. Download Packet

Mail-in and on-line forms for keeping trail records and for reporting seasonal nest box results are provided. Results are submitted to BRAW from members and county coordinators, data is compiled, analyzed, and summarized in a report. https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#nestbox Nest Box Data Report Forms ONLINE Nesting Report Form MAIL-IN Nesting Report Form Field Activity Data Collection Forms INDIVIDUAL Entry Nestbox Weekly Field Record MULTIPLE Nest Box Weekly Field Record Seasonal Task "To Do" Lists These seasonal checklists provide essential reminders and tasks for maintaining, monitoring, repairing, and replacing nest boxes. They apply to installations in private yards as well as along public trails, within parks, and in cemeteries that permit nest boxes on their grounds. WINTER TASKS (DECEMBER – FEBRUARY) SPRING TASKS (MARCH – MAY) SUMMER SUPPORT TASKS FALL FINISH TASKS Membership Application & Renewal Forms Mail-In Forms Include the following: New Membership Membership Renewal Gift Membership Contribution Donation Get Mail-In Membership Form Online Form Include the following: New Membership Membership Renewal Gift Membership Contribution Donation Get Online Membership Form https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#mailin https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#membership https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#fieldactivity https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#seasonaltasks https://www.braw.org/forms-hub#onlineform BRAW FORMS PORTAL

Membership Forms Get Online Membership Form Get Mail-In Membership Form BRAW Forms Hub Please check back soon! In the meantime, you can access active forms directly below. MAIL-IN Nesting Report Form Nesting Data Submission INDIVIDUAL Entry Nestbox Weekly Field Record MULTIPLE Nest Box Weekly Field Record Field Activity Collection Seasonal Task "To Do" Tasks Winter Tasks (December - February) Spring Tasks (March - May) Summer Tasks (June - August) Fall Tasks (September - November) Membership Forms Get Online Membership Form Get Mail-In Membership Form Membership Forms Get Online Membership Form Get Mail-In Membership Form BRAW Forms Hub Please check back soon! In the meantime, you can access active forms directly below. INDIVIDUAL Entry Nestbox Weekly Field Record MULTIPLE Nest Box Weekly Field Record Field Activity Collection Seasonal Task "To Do" Tasks Winter Tasks (December - February) Spring Tasks (March - May) Summer Tasks (June - August) Fall Tasks (September - November) Membership Forms Get Online Membership Form Get Mail-In Membership Form BRAW Forms Hub Page renovation in progress. Please check back soon! In the meantime, you can access active forms directly below. Membership Forms Get Mail-In Membership Form Get Online Membership Form Nesting Data Submission ONLINE 2025 Nesting Report Form MAIL-IN Nesting Report Form Field Activity Collection INDIVIDUAL Entry Nestbox Weekly Field Record MULTIPLE Nest Box Weekly Field Record Seasonal Task "To Do" Tasks Winter Tasks (December - February) Spring Tasks (March - May) Summer Tasks (June - August) Fall Tasks (September - November)

Download MAIL-IN Nesting Report Form Online Nesting Report Form Fields marked with an * are required. Select Today's Date * required Last Name Address State County Zip Code First Name City Email Phone # of Boxes # Boxes Used by Bluebirds # Bluebird Eggs Laid # Bluebird Eggs Hatched # Bluebird Chicks Fledged # Chickadees Fledged # House Wrens Fledged # Tree Swallows Fledged # Boxes Used by House Sparrows Did you disturb any Chickadee, Tree Swallows or House Wren nests? * Yes No Are you a BRAW Member? * Yes No Comments Submit Form Your 2025 Nesting Report Form has been received . Thank you for submitting! An error occurred. Recheck form field entries. Ensure all required fields have been filled and resubmit form.

Meet BRAW’s County Coordinators—volunteers across Wisconsin who support bluebird conservation and community outreach. Find your local contact and get involved. County Contacts Providing Support for BRAW Members and Passionate Bluebird Enthusiasts. Meet your BRAW County Contacts: Local leaders for bluebird restoration. Behind every successful bluebird nesting season in Wisconsin, you'll find our dedicated County Contacts. These are local people with a love for bluebirds, creating a powerful, grassroots network to help restore Eastern Bluebird populations across the state. They are the friendly face of conservation in your community, ready to share their passion and knowledge. BRAW's County Contacts are vital to Wisconsin's Eastern Bluebird restoration program. This dedicated grassroots network ensures everyone has access to the knowledge needed to support bluebirds in their local area. They provide critical support by: Sharing local expertise: Each contact has in-depth knowledge of their county's specific bluebird habitats, nesting locations, and conservation needs. Distributing resources: They offer essential literature, including nest box construction plans and best practices for bluebird care. Building community: By organizing nest box trails and connecting local enthusiasts with BRAW, they facilitate information sharing and promote citizen science. Ultimately, our County Contacts are the driving force behind local bluebird conservation, working tirelessly to protect and restore these cherished native song birds. BRAW County Contact Directory

A checklist of spring tasks for bluebird trail setup, maintenance, and monitoring.

BRAW is Wisconsin’s voice for bluebird conservation. Since 1994, it has collected and analyzed data on bluebird populations, sharing insights through workshops, meetings, and newsletters. BRAW aims to expand public knowledge and enthusiasm for Eastern Bluebirds, encouraging community efforts to aid cavity nesters. What We Do - Activities and Services BRAW’s volunteer and members generously donate thousands of hours annually to ensure that bluebirds and other cavity nesters survive and thrive in Wisconsin. WE CREATE AWARENESS ... ... of challenges faced by cavity nesting birds. In 1964 there were only an estimated 600 nesting bluebird pairs left in the state. The decline was most likely due to multiple factors, e.g., changing agricultural practices, competition with English sparrows and starlings, weather, lack of suitable nest cavities, and habitat loss. Each year BRAW members’ nest boxes alone fledge thousands of bluebirds, plus numerous tree swallows, chickadees and other birds. WE EDUCATE STATE RESIDENTS... ... about building, locating, maintaining and monitoring nest boxes. BRAW’s 900 members who maintain and monitor over 7,000 nest boxes throughout the state bring a wealth of experience to those wanting to learn how to do it. WE COORDINATE STATEWIDE CONSERVATION EFFORTS... ... geared to sustaining bluebird populations and creating habitat for all cavity nesters. BRAW’s County Contacts facilitate these efforts, plus serve as “go to” help sources. WE SERVE AS AN ONLINE RESOURCE... ... for organizations and individuals to obtain information about bluebirds. Our website www.BRAW.org supplies a wide array of useful resources. WE CONDUCT SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS... ... to promote building, monitoring and maintaining nest box trails. From garden expos to seed store seminars to school workshops, BRAW members spend hours in face-to-face contact with the public. WE KEEP OUR MEMBERS INFORMED... ... via a quarterly newsletter Wisconsin Bluebird, social media, emails, and an Annual Convention that features informative speakers. Networking focuses on sharing best practices for nesting success and practical experience. WE SPEAK for BIRDS... ...While not lobbyists, its officers and Board of Directors publicly voice BRAW’s opinion about issues that impact birds, especially cavity nesters. For example, with help from the North American Bluebird Society and elected representatives, BRAW was able to get Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) properties in Wisconsin opened for erecting bluebird nest boxes. WE SUPPORT RESEARCH... ... BRAW provides funds for field research that helps improve nest box design, as well as refines management tools to increase fledgling production. Current studies have looked at use of wren guards and skylight next boxes to discourage House Sparrows. You can help Eastern Bluebirds and other cavity nesters by becoming a member of BRAW. learn more about our memberships Rev.7.27.24/gk

Contact BRAW with questions, feedback, or membership inquiries. Messages are reviewed by our webmaster and directed to the appropriate board member or coordinator. Contact Us BRAW - P O Box 628492 - Middleton, WI 53562 Submit Thank you for Submitting!

This page presents the current directory of BRAW's elected and appointed officers dfficers, committee chairpersons, and liaisons. Board of Directors, Chairs, & Liaisons Past Presidents Patrick Ready Joe Schultz Carol McDaniel Del Parkinson Tom Whalley Dick Nikolai Harvey Halvorsen Elected & Appointed Officers President: Steve Sample • (term to 12/26) Vice-President: Brad Branwell • (term to 12/ 26) Secretary: Gene Kroupa • (term to 12/26) Treasurer: Dan Schroeder • (term to 2 / 27) Director: Patrick Ready • (term to 12/27) Director: Steve Fallon • term to 12/26) Director: Dave Lucey • (term to 12/27) Director: Mary Sobol • (term to 12/27) Director: Mike Crawford • (term to 12/26) Director: Andy Garcia-Rivera • (term to 12/27) Director: Gail Smith • (term to 12/27) Director: Amy Harriman• (term to 12/26) Director: Sharon Johnson • (term to 12/26) Officers & Committee Chairpersons Data Collection Officer: Steve Fallon • (term to 12/26) County Contact Chair: Gene Birr • (term to 12/26) Funding: Joanie Haugen • (term to 12/26) WI Bluebird Editor: Patrick Ready • (term to 12/27) Membership: Valerie Van Winkle • (term to 12/25) Website: Andy Garcia-Rivera • (term to 12/27) BRAW Liaisons WIDNR - Liaison: Sumner Matteson WSO Liaison: Jennifer Wenzel Wisconsin Purple Martin Association: Les Rhine Madison Audubon: Brenna Marsicek

Fall trail wrap-up tasks including nest box cleaning, data reporting, and habitat prep.

Read articles and insights about bluebird behavior, nest box care, trail monitoring, and seasonal tips. BRAW provides expert guidance for new and experienced monitors. Bluebird Articles Feeding Bluebirds in Your Back Yard Fend Off Parasites Full Story Journal of Applied Ecology, Univ. of Connecticut Sarah Knutie Assistant Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ten Ways to Attract and Help Bluebirds in Wisconsin Full Story Posted with Author's Permission: Jennifer Rude Klett Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel WI's Bluebird Comeback: Beautiful native bird is thriving with human help Full Story Posted with Author's Permission: Jennifer Rude Klett Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Bluebird Symbolism & Meaning (+ Totem, Spirit, & Omens) Full Story Garth C. Clifford Writer & Photographer 15 Eastern Bluebird Facts You Didn’t Know Full Story Garth C. Clifford Writer & Photographer Why Do Female Birds Sing? Full Story Mary Bates, Ph.D . Science Writer, Psychology Today

Our Mission To broaden the base of state residents who help Eastern Bluebirds and native cavity nesters by erecting, maintaining and monitoring nest boxes. Our Vision To maintain healthy and stable populations of Eastern Bluebirds and other native cavity nesters in the state. Code of Ethics BRAW members are encouraged to follow North American Bluebird Society (NABS) Code of Ethics encourages birders to protect wildlife, the natural environment, and the rights of others through a set of guidelines. Recent debates over posting rare bird locations, baiting, and the general question of harassment caused NABS to update these guidelines and address those concerns. Our History When BRAW was organized in 1986, it was estimated that the Eastern Bluebird population in its historic range had declined by 90% during the preceding 50 years due to changes in agriculture practices, competition from the House (English) Sparrow and European Starling, severe weather in its central and southern winter range, and the loss of nest sites, such as tree cavities and hollow wooden fence posts. BRAW works to bring to light the efforts of Wisconsin citizens who had been helping bluebirds in the past and those who have recently joined their ranks. Since 1994, BRAW has entered monitors’ data into a computer data base and as a result, through computer analysis of the data, it has gained great insights into the complexities of how management practices and box design affect bluebird population dynamics. Through workshops, the Annual Membership meeting, and through publication of research findings in the Wisconsin Bluebird newsletter, BRAW shares successful birding techniques while hopefully avoiding some of the mistakes painfully learned by earlier bluebird enthusiasts. BRAW seeks to expand public knowledge and enthusiasm for the Eastern Bluebird so that a growing number of people will have the desire to aid cavity nesters and have the knowledge about how to best accomplish this in their own communities. Quick Links Donate About Bluebirds & Resources Starting A Trail Give A Membership Gift County Coordinator List Newsletter Archive Become a member today! Renew Membership Online Shop BRAW Store Contact Us Histtory, Mission, Vision