Crane Season at Rowe Sanctuary

Each March, central Nebraska is marked by the distinctive call of the Sandhill Crane, as hundreds of thousands of these birds descend on the Platte River Valley. A stopover on their long migration northwards, the river serves as a gathering point not only for cranes, but for the many visitors who are drawn to one of North America’s greatest wildlife spectacles.

The cranes gather to feed, building up their fat reserves, and rely on the river’s shallow, braided channels for safe nighttime roosting. This daily behavior allows spectacular viewing opportunities to visitors who flock to the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center to witness it for themselves. This year, roughly 18,000 visitors passed through Rowe Sanctuary’s doors, representing all 50 states and nearly 20 countries, from Argentina to Zambia. Some were longtime repeat visitors, while others were here to finally tick off a lifelong ‘bucket list’ item.

“Crane season” at Rowe Sanctuary is an annual expression of connection—between people and birds, conservation and education—that reflects Audubon’s Flight Plan milestone of Community Building in action.

More than 100 volunteers from 24 states contributed nearly 7,000 hours over just two months, guiding crane-viewing blinds, answering questions, and sharing stories. Their presence transformed observation into conversation, reinforcing Rowe Sanctuary’s role as a welcoming hub during the migration.

Audubon programs further deepened visitor experiences. Over 2,000 people participated in classes, workshops, and events, including daily crane lectures, art workshops, speaker series, and family story times.

The connections and engagement took many forms through binoculars, sketchbooks, and thoughtful dialogue – encouraging visitors to connect to this special location and the birds that rely on it.

A highlight of the season was Braided in Unison, a special evening celebrating the Platte River’s braided ecosystem and the united community that supports its conservation efforts. The event drew 250 attendees and featured acclaimed author of “The Backyard Bird Chronicles”, Amy Tan, in conversation with author and educator John Muir Laws. Tan and Laws experienced the crane migration for the first time leading up to the event, and they took the opportunity to reflect on the emotional power birds can have to inspire us to care for their well-being and habitats. The event underscored how art, storytelling, and science can intertwine to motivate care for place.

Of course, the cranes themselves remained the heart of the season, with early-season tours offering particularly good viewing this year. Throughout March and early April, visitors enjoyed the daily rhythms of stunning early morning mass liftoffs, a sight that inevitably produced expressions of incredulous astonishment, smiles, and even tears at the sight of so many cranes rising up in synchrony. Evenings once again offered a chance to see cranes alight on the sandbars in unceasing waves, tinged with the ephemeral light of the setting sun.

Now, as the cranes continue north and the river grows quieter, crane season leaves behind more than memories. It reinforces Rowe Sanctuary’s role as a place where community is built. A place where landscape, birds, and people come together—braided, like the Platte itself—into something stronger than any single strand.