Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska

by Stan Tekiela
© NatureSmart
March 23, 2007

We wake pre-dawn and gather our equipment in preparation for a morning with the Sandhill Cranes of Nebraska. I am in the company of 12 crane watchers from the Twin Cities area to witness the annual migratory phenomena of the Sandhill Crane (Grus Canadensis)

After parking our group huddles together and in hushed tones about some basic rules before walking single file the half mile to our wooden two story blind on the river. As we approach the blind the sound of the cranes intensifies and our hearts begin to race with anticipation. We tiptoe into the blind and open the small viewing ports which reveal the river and cranes in front of us.

It is still very dark and we can only see vague shapes of the birds and the reflection of the morning sky in the shallow meandering river. Now we just have to wait for the sun to rise to reveal the majesty of the crane before us.

The eastern sky glows in tones of orange and red as the sun comes up. It is cool but comfortable and the wind is non-existent, a perfect morning on the Platte River. An estimated 15-17 thousand cranes are milling about in the water before us. Some are renewing their pair bonds with each other by dancing while others are squabbling and fighting. Still others are preening their feathers in preparation of the day’s feeding activities.

Our group is awe-struck and even thought I have been coming here for the past 15 or more years I am also awe-struck. What we are witnessing is the annual migration of the Sandhill Crane--a four foot tall elegant crane with a red cap and yellow eyes.

For the past 20,000 years cranes have been coming to this stretch of the Platte River in central Nebraska. The shallow slow moving water spreads out across a wide flat area creating many large sandbars creating perfect habitat for roosting cranes.

Cranes spend their winter in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico. During mid to late February they fly 600-1000 miles in a one day non-stop flight to a small stretch of about 65-80 miles of the Platte River. This is a migratory bottle neck concentrating about 600,000 cranes in one place at one time representing about 90 percent of the worlds Sandhill Cranes. From here they fly for several days to a week to reach their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska.

Over a 6 to 8 week period of time each spring the cranes forage in the surrounding agricultural fields to feed on spilled grains and corn. Groups ranging from 50 to several thousand birds gather in the stubble of corn fields. Some look for food while others pair off and dance and display for each other. They spend the entire day moving from field to field gathering strength in preparation for the long flights to their nesting grounds.

Each evening after a day of feeding the cranes lift off the fields and fly in large groups back to the safety of the Platte River. Long lines of cranes fly like ribbons in the sky against the orange glow of the evening sky. Slowly and deliberately the cranes circle down and gently come to rest on the sandbars of the river for another night on the Platte.

Back in our blind our group spots a nearly all white crane mixes in with the hoards regular colored cranes. Some of the birds are taking flight in the early morning light. The sun is above the horizon and we have full view of massive group of birds before us. If we scan with our binoculars and spotting scopes to our right we see one solid mass of birds. It looks like a large gray mass consisting of thousands of crane heads. There are no spaces between the birds. It is an impressive sight.

Over the next hour or so the cranes turn to face into the slight breeze and file out of the river in groups of 20 to 50. Some birds fly right past our blind at eye level giving us wonderful views of these majestic birds. They are constantly calling and the sound a group of this size makes is impressive.

As the last of our cranes leave the group exits the blind and gathers in the early morning light to talk over the experience. Most of us are speechless and still basking in the glow of the moment. Warm smiles seem to be the order of the morning. We have just witnessed one of North America’s most ancient and spectacular natural phenomena. I am sure it will last in the memories of our group for the rest of their lives. Until next time…

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