Nebraska the SANDHILL CRANE MIGRATION Flyway Each Spring, Something Magical Happens in the Heart the CENTRAL FLYWAY of the Great Plains
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Nebraska THE SANDHILL CRANE MIGRATION Flyway Each spring, something magical happens in the heart THE CENTRAL FLYWAY of the Great Plains. More than 80% of the world’s population of sandhill cranes converge on Nebraska’s BIRDING GUIDE Platte River Valley – a critical sliver of threatened habitat in North America’s Central Flyway. Along with the cranes come millions of migrating ducks and geese filling the neighboring rainwater basins. COMMUNITY The sandhill cranes come to rest and refuel for a INFORMATION CENTERS month as they prepare for the arduous journey to vast Grand Island Tourism breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska and Siberia. They 201 W. 3rd Street | Grand Island, NE 68801 arrive from far-flung wintering grounds in northern 308-382-4400 Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico on a journey of VisitGrandIsland.com thousands of miles. Hastings/Adams County Convention For centuries, the birds have come to rest and & Visitors Bureau restore themselves. The shallow, braided channels of 219 N. Hastings Avenue | Hastings, NE 68901 Nebraska’s Platte River provide safe nighttime roost 402-461-2370 | 800-967-2189 sites. Waste grain in nearby fields provides food to VisitHastingsNebraska.com build up depleted fat reserves needed for continuing their migration. Adjacent wet meadows provide Kearney Visitors Bureau nutrients and secluded loafing areas for rest, bathing, 1007 2nd Avenue | Kearney, NE 68847 and courting. During their stop in Nebraska, sandhill 308-237-3178 cranes gain approximately 15% of their body weight. SANDHILL CRANE WHOOPING CRANE VisitKearney.org Plan your visit to see this migration for yourself HEIGHT 3-4 feet 5 feet North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau using the information on the following pages WINGSPAN 6 feet 7.5 feet 101 Halligan Drive | North Platte, NE 69101 308-532-4729 | 800.955.4528 of this brochure. WEIGHT 8-12 lbs 14 lbs VisitNorthPlatte.com COLORATION Gray White 170-450 miles/ The design and printing of this brochure was sponsored by: MIGRATION 200-500 miles/day day FLIGHT SPEED 38 mph 47 mph Northern U.S.A, Wood Buffalo NESTING Canada, Alaska, National Park, AREA Siberia Canada MATING Begins at 3-4 yrs Begins at 5 yrs EGGS 1-2 per year 2 per year LIFESPAN 20-25 years 20-25 years CENTRAL FLYWAY 1,000,000+ 500+ POPULATION Photography courtesy of NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Diana Robinson, and Brad Mellema. 2021 CNBG_15K NebraskaFlyway.com NebraskaFlyway.com IAN NICOLSON AUDUBON CRANE TRUST NATURE CENTER AT ROWE SANCTUARY & VISITOR CENTER OTHER BIRDS TO LOOK FOR 44450 Elm Island Rd (Kearney, Nebraska) 9325 S Alda Rd (Grand Island, Nebraska) 308-468-5282 | rowe.audubon.org 308-382-1820 | CraneTrust.org The Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary The Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center welcomes lies right in the heart of a critical spring staging area guests to rare, protected lands year-round, and also to for migrating sandhill cranes. Come experience one of the great sandhill crane migration in the spring. the last great wildlife migrations on the planet. TRUMPETER VIEWING BLIND TOURS EAGLES VIEWING BLIND TOURS The Crane Trust offers public viewing blind tours to More than 1,000 bald eagles (and some golden eagles) SWANS Rowe provides a variety of guided viewing people (ages 12 and up) with reservations during the visit the Platte River, the Rainwater Basins, and Lake Sandhills opportunities to see the sandhill cranes on their month of March. Handicap accessible bridge tours are McConaughy each winter and spring, feeding on fish and lakes may river roosts for a fee. Tours are conducted from early available on the weekends. migratory waterfowl. Viewing sites include the Johnson be home to No. 2 hydropower plant south of Lexington (308-995-8601) up to 700 and the Kingsley Dam (308-284-2332) north of Ogallala. permanent resident swans, while wintering swans GREAT BLUE HERON totaling in the thousands can PRAIRIE CHICKENS be found in the Platte River These birds approach four feet in length with Prairie-chickens and sharp- Valley. Birdwood Creek north wingspans of six feet. Herons can be seen tailed grouse can both be found of Sutherland is an important along most bodies of water in central Nebraska. Prairie- wintering area for swans and with a fish population. chickens are more common and other wintering waterfowl. They nest in groups in tall gather on courtship grounds Trumpeter swans are the trees. View them statewide (leks) in the spring, putting on largest waterfowl in the world in the spring and fall, or an amazing display of foot- and the heaviest flying birds in in the western and central stomping, booming calls and the North America. March through early April each year. The tours are Photography opportunities and VIP tours are available part of the state during occasional skirmish with other in demand, and normally sell out. Rowe also has a which include an evening viewing, lodging, meals, and breeding. males. Most leks are on private roadside pullout for daytime viewing of the birds. a morning viewing in heated blinds. property; contact the Crane MORE ABOUT AUDUBON’S ROWE SANCTUARY MORE ABOUT THE CRANE TRUST Trust Nature & Visitor Center, AMERICAN WHITE WHOOPING Rowe Sanctuary, or Dusty Trails The gift shop has numerous unique items. Your Visitors to the nature center will find murals, wildlife Outdoor Specialists for viewing PELICANS purchase makes a difference in conserving critical exhibits, and information on surrounding habitats CRANES opportunities. habitat along the Platte River. and research/conservation programs. An art gallery These large birds top five feet in length with 500-plus showcases works by regional artists, and the gift shop wingspans of nearly nine whooping Iain Nicolson Audubon Center’s unique outdoor, offers a variety of Nebraska-made merchandise for feet. They can be seen cranes experienced-based education is at the heart of what the nature lover. Walk outside for a butterfly garden, statewide in the spring migrate we do. We provide children, families, and adults with herd of bison, and roughly 10 miles of trails through and fall, and sometimes through opportunities to experience the Platte Valley ecosystem lowland tallgrass prairie and wet meadow habitat. on large lakes during the the Platte and its wildlife through our indoor and outdoor summer. River Valley and Rainwater classrooms, discovery stations, and trails that meander Basins, mainly during April along the Platte River through wetlands, wooded areas, GIDEON’S CRANE CABIN RETREAT and October/November. One of and prairie. 308-383-6913 | Find on CraneCabinRetreat the most endangered birds in For a unique bird viewing experience right on North America, the whooping OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE AT ROWE the Platte River, rent Chad Gideon’s Crane Cabin DUCKS AND SNOW GEESE crane is also the tallest bird on Spend a night with thousands of cranes! Overnight Retreat. The retreat features a comfortable cabin Millions of ducks and geese migrate through the central the continent at 5 feet tall. Its blinds are placed near major roosts of sandhill on one of the busiest sections of the spring flyway in the spring. A wide variety of duck species can imposing stature, angel white cranes and can provide excellent opportunities for migration of the sandhill cranes. Multiple be seen throughout the state. Snow geese mesmerize plumage, black mask, and red photography, or provide a unique experience for viewing blinds are available for watchers and onlookers with their wide, swirling descents in very large crown are striking. Report any nature enthusiast. Call 308-468-5282 for more photographers, and Gideon will personally guide groups down onto a lake. Best viewing is in the Rainwater whooping crane sitings to information. you through the experience if you would like. Basin and along the Platte and Missouri Rivers. 308-382-1820. NebraskaFlyway.com NebraskaFlyway.com SANDHILL CRANE VIEWING MAP Self-guided tours are labeled in red. Visit the website for more details. NEBRASKAFLYWAY.COM Birdwood Creek Birdwood Dusty Trails North River Rd. 100 miles 50 miles North Platte River . North River WMA Muskrat Run WMA . Platte Valley Rd. Sutherland Hershey Rd Hershey Front Rd South Platte Rive r North Platte Regional 158 164 North Platte Airport To wer Rd Visitor Center 101 Halligan Dr Maxwell . 177 . Brady 201 W. 3rd St. Sutherland 190 Reservoir Bubble Rd North Power Rd. 199 83 Platte t. S . Wood River Rd. t r Rd. us 25 c Lo Monito Lake Maloney r Mormon Brady-Moorefield Rd Island State Brady/ Alda Rd. Platte Rive Lowry Rd. Recreation Jeffery Area Lake Platte River Rd. Windmill State Park 25 miles . Platte River Rd. Lonestar Rd. Shoemaker Rd CPNRD . Roadside N-CORPE . Viewing Sites Public Access 750 Rd. 24th & Platte River Rd 433 Rd Platte Rive Kilgore Rd. r 24 Rd. Denman Rd. 17 Rd. CPNRD LEGEND Sioux Rd. Roadside Crane Viewing Sites Elm Sodtown Rd. Cabin Prosser Rd Driving tour . Island Rd Retreat L 50A V Rd. Central Platte . NRD Plautz Crane Trust Nature 433 Rd 749 Rd Camping Central Platte Denman Rd Johnson Viewing Site Alda Rd. Lake NRD & Visitor Center Roadside Hiking Lowell Rd Viewing Site . Gravel road Rd Fort A Kearny S1 State Funk/Odessa Rd. Funk/Odessa Historical Rowe Sanctuary BIRDWATCHING ETIQUETTE Park Visitors Center • Use designated viewing sites to watch the birds, respecting private property. Most land in Rainwater Basin Visitor Center 219 N. Hastings Ave the Platte River valley is private. N Rd. Pioneer Village • Don’t attempt to approach birds on their roosts or as they feed in the fields. M Rd. L Rd. • Weather conditions can change rapidly on the great plains during late winter and early spring. Plan accordingly by bringing attire that is suitable for cold temperatures. DUSTY TRAILS OUTDOOR PUBLIC NEBRASKA’S PLATTE RIVER VALLEY SPECIALISTS VIEWING SITES 2617 N Buffalo Bill Ave (North Platte, Nebraska) The Central Platte Natural Resource District manages 308-530-0048 | DustyTrails.biz and provides free viewing decks located along the Platte River in Alda and Gibbon.