Hey all,
On March 30th we surveyed the Central Platte River Valley and we estimate there are at least 60,800 +/- 12,400 Sandhill Cranes within the valley. A majority of the cranes are between Shelton and Kearney. This is a dramatic decrease from last week’s 400,000 estimate. Many warm (if not hot) days with winds from the south have provided ideal migration conditions since last count which definitely contribute to the decline. This time of year is often when we start seeing larger exoduses of birds. However, week 7 is variable from year to year often depending on environmental factors. In 2019, week 7 was the recorded peak for the year. Compared to this year, 2019 was an extremely cold and wet March which was likely reason for a later migration. This year was one of the warmest and driest Marches on record for Nebraska, leaving much of the state in severe drought, rivers very low, wetlands dry, and regions literally on fire. Not ideal conditions for cranes by any means, a species reliant on water and often said to ride the wake of winter.
This estimate also utilizes some supplemental incidental data that is not from our normal survey protocol. Despite this, 60,800 is still thought to be a decent undercount of what is still in the river valley. Warmer weather, low river flows, and clear skies all contribute to cranes leaving the survey area before we fly over. We count every crane we see but many cranes are off channel and foraging outside of our line of sight.
Till next week,
Bethany Ostrom,
Lead Biologist