Crane River
©
1998 Leonard Smith
Before
the Europeans came to the Platte Valley, the
character of the river and associated lands were
much different than they are today. Most of the
river valley was sedge meadows and marshes. The
only disturbances to the prairie were the grazing
of buffalo, small patches of corn and squash
planted by the natives and the occasional fire
that encouraged the growth of new grasses and
forbs. The natural cycles of nature created an
idyllic environment, and species and ways of
living evolved in harmony with the river.
In
spring, ice and flooding scoured the river
course, forming sandbars and preventing the
growth of trees and other woody plants. Migrating
cranes and waterfowl would have found many
hundreds of miles of river channel suitable to
their needs.
Early
settlers passed the area in search of better
land, leaving behind what they thought to be the
Great American Desert. When the true nature of
the land was discovered, settlement followed.
With settlement, came development of the river.
As the water of the river was diverted, the river
changed. What exists now is not the historic
Platte River. As a result of development and
diversion of the river, there is a 66% reduction
in mean discharge of the Platte. There is a
65-79% reduction in channel width and an
encroachment of trees and shrubs in the channel.
There's as much as a 97% loss of optimal sandhill
crane roosting habitat in some segments of the
Platte as a result of the encroachment of
woodland vegetation. Also, there has been a 73%
loss of native grasslands and wetland meadows
along the river.
As a
result of this development, the migrating cranes
are forced to use what little of the river is
still suitable to them during the spring
migration. This area extends from North Platte to
Grand Island, with a small area near Lewellen
along the upper reaches of Lake McConaughy.
The
mid-continent population occupies three major
staging areas along the Platte and North Platte
rivers. Approximately 2/3 of the population is
located at the Kearney-Grand Island staging area,
(staging area 1). Most of the remaining cranes
use the Overton-Elm Creek staging area (staging
area 2) and the Sutherland-North Platte staging
area (staging area 3).
Most
of the sandhill cranes are of two races. Lesser
sandhill cranes can be found primarily west from
Grand Island, and members of the Canadian race
stage principally between Grand Island and
Kearney.
There
are five subspecies of sandhill crane generally
recognized. Two are non-migratory and considered
rare by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
These two subspecies are the Florida and Cuban
sandhill cranes. The Florida species numbers are
fewer than 600 birds, and the Cuban species
numbers less than 100 birds.
The
three remaining subspecies -- the lesser,
intermediate and greater sandhill cranes -- all
migrate through Nebraska. The number of greater
sandhill cranes is estimated to be less than
10,000. The intermediate sandhill population
number is unknown. The most abundant is the
lesser sandhill crane. It stands 3 1/2 feet tall,
weighs about 8 pounds, and has a wingspan of 6
ft.
The
vanguard begins to arrive on the Platte in late
February, with a rapid population increase till
about the 20th of March. After that, there is a
leveling off late in the month. The birds stay
about 30 days and depart, with most gone by May.
Most cranes leave in April when the weather
favors migration.
Prior
to European settlement of the Platte Valley, the
cranes fed entirely on native foods. At present,
the cranes feed on waste grain, primarily corn,
and on protein- and mineral-rich foods found in
the remaining grasslands and marshes. Cranes eat
all manner of insects, snails, worms, etc. found
in the field.
Cranes
are an ancient bird. Fossil evidence has been
found in sediments from the Eocene, some 55
million years old. There is further evidence that
sandhill cranes have been part of Nebraska for at
least the last 10 million years. What is their
future? While the concentration of hundreds of
thousands of cranes is a spectacular sight, it is
also dangerous to the future of the birds. A
severe storm in the area, loss of food supply,
and further degradation of the river will have a
serious impact on the population. Also, with the
concentration of so many birds in a small area,
comes the increased risk of disease. While the
sandhill crane is still plentiful, it is still at
risk.
We
live in a time when development seems to be
inevitable. There are pressures on the
environment that will further reduce the flow of
the Platte River. If it is allowed to continue,
it will most certainly impact the cranes and
other wildlife. For thousands of years, spring
has come to the Platte Valley on the gray wings
of cranes. The earliest humans knew these birds.
The choices we make concerning the river, the
land, and the use of it will decide the future of
the cranes.
Another
crane, the whooping crane, can also be seen on
the river in the Platte River Valley. Probably
never as numerous as the sandhill, the whooping
crane is an endangered species that is, at
present, holding its own. It is likely that
without human effort to preserve it, the whooping
crane would now be extinct.
It
uses some of the same roosting and feeding
habitat during spring migration as the sandhill
crane. The whooping crane migrates quite rapidly,
and the extreme dates of confirmed sightings are
between March 10th and May 15th, with most
whoopers observed between April 1st and 20th.
Sightings of whooping cranes are most likely
along a stretch of the Platte River from North
Platte to Grand Island and the rainwater basin
south of Kearney.
Reports
of crane migration are posted in the Rare Bird
Alert for Nebraska that is available here in the
Nature Section of Sodbuster and also on the
Internet. Birders report their sightings to the
list manager who updates the RBA as needed.
Also,
there are several activities related to the
spring crane migration that you may be interested
in:
In
February
Wings
Over the Platte Wildlife Art Show and Sale
Feb
13-March 29 at the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island.
Here, artwork is displayed, and many of the works
are by featured artists from the last 9 Wings
Over the Platte Art Shows. For more information,
you can call toll free (800) 658-3178. There is
an admission charge to the museum.
Waterfowl
Migration Hike
10
a.m.-noon on February 22 at the Funk Waterfowl
Production area. The hike will be led by NE Game
and Parks Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service biologists who will discuss waterfowl
migration. It is recommended that you bring
binoculars and good walking shoes. Be prepared
for a variety of weather conditions. You will
meet at the observation blind at the south end of
the area. Admission is free.
In
March
Platte
River Blind Tours for the observation of sandhill
cranes
Sunrise
and sunset. March 7-April 11 at the following
sites:
Rowe
Sanctuary/National Audubon Society. You should
call (308) 468-5282 for information and
reservations. A $15 fee is charged
Crane
Meadows Nature Center. Call (308) 382-1820 for
information and reservations. A $15 fee is
charged.
U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
Two
tours each day: pre-dawn and at dusk. There is
limited space, but no fee. Call (308) 236-5015
for information. A migration program is offered
daily, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at
Fort
Kearny State Historical Park Visitor Center
A
narrated slide program on spring migration is
shown hourly. Call for info at (308) 85-5305.
Fort
Kearny Hike-Bike Trail
Free
crane-viewing site at the Fort Kearny Recreation
Area. You should arrive at least one hour before
sunset or one hour before sunrise. A local crane
expert will give a short presentation and answer
questions while the cranes leave and return to
their roost. The Kearney Visitors Center is open
from March 7-April 11 on Monday through Friday
from 8:30 a.m. till 6 p.m. and on Saturday and
Sunday from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. This is an
excellent resource for area attractions,
entertainment, food, and lodging.
The
"Heritage of Audubon" Exhibit
At
the Museum of Nebraska Art in downtown Kearney
from March 13 through April 19. The works of 12
wildlife and nature photographers and artists is
featured. Admission is free and hours are from 11
a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and on
Sunday from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
National
Audubon Society 29th Annual Rivers and Wildlife
Celebration
March
13-15 at the Ramada Inn in Kearney. On March 13
at 8 p.m., featured speaker will be Kent Clegg,
the Ultralite pilot and whooping crane researcher
who led 4 young whooping cranes and 8 sandhill
cranes from Idaho to New Mexico, teaching them
their new migration route. Fee is $3 for the
public, free for children and celebration
attendees. Other speakers will include
ornithologists Frank Gill (The
Demise of Songbirds) and
Paul Johnsgard (Hummingbirds,
Wonders of the Bird World)
and National Audubon Society President, John
Flicker. Also included in the Celebration program
will be three symposiums: Innovations
in Environmental Education, Creating
Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat,
and Audubon Leadership
Training. There will also be
field trips to see cranes, snow geese, and
prairie chickens, and to do some general birding.
For an information packet or to make
reservations, call (402) 475-1177.
Wings
Over the Platte
On
March 19-22 at the Interstate Holiday Inn, at
I-80 and Hwy 281 in Grand Island. You will see
hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes,
millions of ducks and geese, and over 200 species
of birds found here during this time of year.
According to Forbes
magazine, this is the #1 place in the world for
bird watchers to visit. Guided tours to see
cranes, prairie chickens, and waterfowl are
offered, as well as seminars, an art competition
and a banquet featuring whooping crane researcher
Kent Clegg on Saturday, March 21. Call (800)
658-3178 for an information packet or to make
reservations.
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