Annual Crane Migration - Platte River, Nebraska - 1000 Places to See Before You Die on Waymarking.com

Early immigrants to this area of Nebraska described the Platte River as “too thick to drink but too thin to plow.” But sandhill cranes find it the perfect spot for a spring stopover on their annual migration north. Every year, beginning around the middle of February, hundreds of thousands of the noisy birds descend onto an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River to rest and feed before continuing on their journey northward, creating a unique spectacle of nature.

During the six to eight week period that the cranes are here, they follow a daily ritual. During the day, flocks of them may be seen in the fields where they gobble up the waste grain. Then, right around sunset, they all return to the sandbars and shores of the Platte to roost. The next morning, at sunrise, they take off en masse to return to the fields. When the cranes are present, it’s almost impossible not to see them in the fields, but most folks prefer the morning or evening spectacle of a sky full of birds.

Like geese, cranes sometimes fly in a V formation but usually not for long. More typically, they form long undulating ribbons that are constantly changing. And they make a lot of noise. Cranes are often heard before they’re seen, if they’re seen at all since they can fly very high - over a mile high when migrating - but they can be heard up to two miles away.

The crane migration area stretches from around Overton in the west to Chapman in the east. There are several places specifically set up for public viewing but if you want to get real close, you can check out a private tour. See the website for more information. The coordinates I’ve provided are for the Ft. Kearny State Recreation Area. There’s ample parking there and a bike trail on an old railroad line that crosses the river at this point. There is a fee to enter this park which is higher for non-residents.

Name of Source Book: 1000 Places To See Before You Die - In the USA and Canada (2007) Page Location in Source Book: 633 Type of Waymark: Event Location of Coordinates: Ft. Kearny St. Recreation Area bike trail Cost of Admission (Parks, Museums, etc.): 12.00 (listed in local currency) List Available Hours, Dates, Season: Mid-February to mid-April Official Tourism Website: [Web Link]

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