Wild Phenomenon

Each spring, some 1 million sandhill cranes pass through Nebraska during migration.

Every spring, the fields, rivers and skies around Grand Platte and Kearney, Nebraska, are filled with cranes. The Central and North Platte river valleys of Nebraska see about 1 million sandhill cranes passing through the area during their annual migration.

The cranes spend the winter months in the southwestern United States – Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico – and Mexico. Each spring, they make the roughly 5,000-mile trip to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska. Some birds go as far as Siberia.

Nebraska’s Platte River Valley serves as a “staging area” for the birds. They stop to rest, eat, replenish and bide their time until the snow melts up north. The birds roost on sandbars in the Platte River, so they can hear approaching predators. The braided channels of the Platte River offer ideal roosting sites. During the day, the birds fly to nearby fields where they feed on grain. Sandhill cranes increase their body weight by 15-20% during their stopover in Nebraska. This gives them the energy needed to make the long trip north. Each day, as dusk approaches, the cranes fly from the fields back to the river, and the skies around Grand Island and Kearney become speckled with birds.

It’s common to see as many as 10,000 cranes per half mile of river. While the sight of that many birds is incredible, the sound they make is unlike anything else. Sandhill cranes have a unique rolling, trumpeting call, thanks to their long tracheas that coil into their sternum. One crane is loud. Ten thousand of them sound like a stadium full of trumpet players each playing their own tune.

National Geographic has called the annual sandhill crane migration one of the greatest wildlife phenomena in North America. About 80% of all sandhill cranes come to the Platte every spring, creating the largest concentration of cranes anywhere in the world. This phenomenon is a sight to see, and bird watchers from across the country and around the world flock to the area to see the cranes.

Local organizations offer bird viewing tours during the migration. The Rowe Sanctuary, home of the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center, is 1,447 acres in size and contains 2.5 miles of river channel. During crane migration, the sanctuary, located east of Kearney on the Platte River, offers guided crane viewing tours at sunrise and sunset. They also offer an overnight photography experience, where bird watchers spend the night in a bird blind. The Rowe’s tours fill up quickly, so book well in advance.

The Crane Trust, near Grand Island, works to protect critical habitat for whooping cranes, sandhill cranes and other migratory birds. The Crane Trust offers bird blind tours during migration, allowing visitors to observe the birds at sunrise and sunset. They also offer lodging. Yearround, the organization hosts scientists, researchers and students on the 10,000 acres of protected land along the Platte River.

Whooping Cranes

The majority of the cranes that pass through Nebraska are Lesser and Greater sandhill cranes. However, lucky birdwatchers may also spot whooping cranes.

Whooping cranes nearly went extinct in the 1940s as their habitat disappeared and they were widely hunted. At one point, only about 20 birds remained in the wild. Thanks to captive breeding programs and wetland management, some 600 whooping cranes are alive today.

If you go:

Best time to go: The Sandhill Crane migration typically begins in mid-February, peaks in mid-March and tapers off in mid-April. Take a guided tour: To get an up-close view of the birds in their roost, sign up for a guided tour with:

• The Rowe Sanctuary – rowe.audubon.org, or

• The Crane Trust – cranetrust.org

Take a self-guided driving tour: During the day, cranes can be seen in fields along the Platte River. Go for a drive on the nearby gravel roads, and you won’t be able to miss the birds. You can also find driving tour maps online and at local visitor centers:

• SeeTheCranes.com

• visitkearney.org/self-guided-crane-tours

Stay: Plan to stay for a few days, Book a hotel room in Jearney or Grand Island at the Crane Trust.

All about sandhill cranes:

Height: 3-5 feet

Wingspan: 5-6 feet

Weight: 6-14 pounds

Lifespan: 20 years

Terminology: Young cranes are “colts.” Adult females are “mares.” Adult males are “roans.” A group of cranes is called a “construction,” “dance,” “sedge,” “siege” or “swoop.”