70 in 70 - Number 11 - Sandhill Crane Migration

The migration of Sandhill Cranes through Nebraska is an incomparable event. It is one of the largest single-species migrations in the world - over 650,000 cranes had come through this year by the time we arrived in Nebraska towards the end of March. 

Every year from late February to early April, Sandhill Cranes migrate through Nebraska. During this time, more than 80% of the world’s Sandhill Crane population converges on the Platte River near Kearney to rest and eat – gaining enough fat and energy to complete their travels from their southern wintering grounds in Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico to their northern breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. During their stay in Nebraska, the cranes spend the day in farm fields munching away and dancing, and at night they fly onto the shallow waters of the Platte to roost until dawn when they all rise up to return to the fields – or to continue their voyage north.

During our trip, we first spotted cranes in fields near North Platte where we camped our first night out. The next night we camped at the Fort Kearny State Recreation Area where it was just a short walk from our campsite to a pedestrian bridge over the Platte where we stood for over an hour in the evening watching (and listening) to the cranes fly in for their night’s roosting on the Platte. We then returned at dawn to watch the exodus off the river - massive groups of cranes all leaving within moments of each other until the river was deserted.

Our first sighting - in fields near North Platte

Filling the sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dining in the fields

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening fly-in, one group at a time

  

Settling on the Platte River for the night

 

Rising from the Platte at dawn en masse

 

Sandhill Cranes and moonset