I
f you happen to be traveling along the Platte River in
Nebraska in March, you'll probably hear the rattling bugle
calls of Sandhill Cranes coming to roost. In fact, nearly 80%
of the 500,000 cranes in the world will migrate to Nebraska
from Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California —and
they're not alone. Tagging along are millions of migrating
ducks and geese who rest in the neighboring waterways. The
cranes gather by the thousands in the cornfields to rest and
refuel as they prepare for the grueling journey to breeding
grounds in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. They show up in late
February, peak in mid-March, and are gone by mid-April.
The cranes are best seen from the road. You can get
reasonably close to the flocks for some great photos, but the
birds will scatter if you get too close. Take a tour from Rowe
Sanctuary and you'll go out along the river at sunrise or
sunset to watch this amazing migration.
Sandhill Cranes
Credit: William T Smith / Shutterstock
