The Magic of Sandhill Cranes

Each spring, roughly one million sandhill cranes, the largest gathering of cranes anywhere in the world, gather in the Platte River Valley of south-central Nebraska to rest and refuel for several weeks while on an epic several thousand mile journey through the heart of the Great Plains from wintering grounds as far south as Mexico to nesting grounds as far north as Alaska and even Siberia. 

Each night on the Platte, thousands of cranes descend to the roost at sunset to rest on the shallow braided channels of the river where they find safety and sanctuary. Sometimes their roost looks like a gray blanket rolled out along the river as far as the eye can see. At sunrise, they leave the river, sometimes en masse like a huge rolling wave, to wing their way to nearby cropfields to feed on waste grain left from previous fall’s harvest, or to secluded wet meadows and grasslands where they get their proteins. There they also dance, chase and cavort with one another before returning again to the river, often against a fiery Nebraska sunset. During this daily rhythm the photographic opportunities are endless. 

Cranes are special anywhere you find them, but here on the Platte in spring is one of the biggest rock concerts in the bird world. And as magnificent as the sight is, it is the cacophony of sound that lingers. 

As a lifelong Nebraskan, I have experienced the crane migration for decades, yet every time is new, magical and different. In fact, for me personally missing March with cranes on the Platte would be like missing Christmas, and I know I’m not the only one that feels that way.

Cranes are among the most ancient of birds, mark time in our lives, and connect us in one big community across space and time. Through our photographs, shared experiences and stories, we help cranes by inspiring conservation efforts to protect rivers, wetlands, and grasslands habitats they need to thrive far into the future. And we help ourselves and our own future, because we depend on these same habitats too. 

Come join us in true “flyover country” and experience the magic with camera in hand. 

Michael Forsberg

Guest Instructor

Mike is a senior fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers who has focused his career on North America’s Great Plains, its prairie wildlife, and watersheds. His work has appeared in National Geographic and Outdoor Photographer, and his books on On Ancient Wings and Great Plains – America’s Lingering Wild have been turned into documentary films for PBS. Mike is co-founder of the Platte Basin Timelapse Project, and currently serves as faculty with the University of Nebraska.

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