Sandhill Crane Migration, Nebraska

It has been twenty years since I had been out to Nebraska to witness the sandhill crime migration so I thought I ‘d take a day and head northeast. Every spring, the sandhills descend on central Nebraska en masse so they can roost in the Platte River valley. There are upwards of 500,000 cranes in the area so it is a spectacle not to be missed.

This year the weather cooperated. Unlike past years when the weather in late March can be unpredictable, this year it was sunny and around 70. Perfect. The sunrise and sunsets were spectacular as well, providing the perfect backdrop for groups of cranes flying in to roost in the river for the night or take off for the fields in the morning.

The biggest collection of cranes can be found between Kearney (Exit 272) and Grand Island (Exit 320). During the day, the birds can be seen in the local farm fields fattening up on left over corn kernels from the previous year’s harvest. They will also take flight and move from field to field. Just before sunrise or just after sunset is when the real show begins, however. The birds fly in waves back to the river or take off from the river. The sun rises or sets in a big orange ball over the river. It looks like something out of an African safari.

This year I went to the Plautz viewing deck near Gibbon to watch sunset while I stopped at the river bridge just east of Kearney (exit 279) for sunrise. Other options include guided tours from the Rowe Sanctuary (located between Kearney and Gibbon) or Fort Kearney State Park. The latter has a bicycle bridge over the river that provides good access. This one gets crowded so I prefer the other locations.