Sandhill Crane Migration

A One-Of-A-Kind Wildlife Experience

Each March, roughly one million sandhill cranes stopover in Central Nebraska’s Platte River Valley to rest and feed on their journey north. As one of the largest crane gatherings in the world, this spectacle draws birders and wildlife enthusiasts from near and far. 

Want to join the flock? Check out this page for more on what to expect from your crane watch, plus tips on tours, nature centers and sanctuaries that can help you get the best view.

Find Sandhill Cranes

Nebraska Flyway

Bird Watching & Etiquette

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Birdwatchers gathered on Kearney Bridge for the sandhill crane migration.
Kearney Bridge

Rowe Sanctuary & Iain Nicolson Audubon Center

44450 Elm Island Rd. 
Gibbon, NE 68840

Bird Watching

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A sign in front of a building at Rowe Sanctuary and Iain Nicolson Audubon Center in Gibbon, Nebraska.
Rowe Sanctuary & Iain Nicolson Audubon Center

Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

9325 S. Alda Rd.
Wood River, NE 68883

Bird Watching

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A bridge and a blind at Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center in Wood River, Nebraska.
Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center

Dusty Trails Sandhill Crane Viewing Tours

2617 N. Buffalo Bill Ave.

North Platte, NE 69101

Bird Watching

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Cranes landing in water on a Dusty Trails cranes tour.
Dusty Trails | Copyright Boni Edwards

Sandhill Crane Spring Migration: Kearney

1007 2nd Ave. 
Kearney, NE 68848

Bird Watching

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Cranes in water beneath a yellow sky during Nebraska's annual sandhill crane migration.
Rowe Sanctuary

Sandhill Crane Spring Migration: Grand Island

201 W. Third St.
Grand Island, NE 68801

Bird Watching

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Sandhill cranes in water during the sandhill crane migration in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Grand Island

Sandhill Crane Spring Migration: North Platte

101 Halligan Dr.
North Platte, NE 69101

Bird Watching

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Sandhill cranes in a field and in the air with a windmill in the background in North Platte.
North Platte | Copyright Boni Edwards

Sandhill Crane Spring Migration: Hastings

234 N. Lincoln Ave.
Hastings, NE 68901

Bird Watching

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Sandhill cranes in a field with one taking flight during Nebraska's sandhill crane migration in Hastings, Nebraska.
Sandhill Cranes
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Sandhill Crane Migration Inspiration

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