Rowe Sanctuary — Platte River

Nebraska · Midwest

EasyOfficial Site

Habitat

WetlandGrassland

Best Seasons

Spring

Difficulty

Easy

Best Months

Late February-Early April

Entrance Fee

Crane viewing blind: $25-50 per person

Hours

Varies by season; blind viewing requires reservation

About This Location

Each spring, over 500,000 Sandhill Cranes — roughly 80% of the world's population — gather along a 60-mile stretch of the Platte River in central Nebraska. Rowe Sanctuary, managed by the National Audubon Society, offers guided blind experiences for witnessing this ancient migration spectacle.

From late February through early April, the shallow braided channels of the Platte serve as a staging area where cranes rest and feed before continuing north. The sight and sound of thousands of cranes lifting off at dawn is one of North America's greatest wildlife experiences.

Location

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Notable Species

Sandhill Crane Whooping Crane Greater Prairie-Chicken Least Tern Piping Plover

Live Bird Data

Notable Sightings

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/4/20265633–5999 W Wood River Rd, Alda US-NE (40.8291,-98.4504)1 observed

Eastern Towhee

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

3/4/2026UNL City Campus1 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/4/20265158–5630 W Wood River Rd, Grand Island US-NE 40.82967, -98.447971 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/4/20265796 West Wood River Road, Alda, Nebraska, US (40.83, -98.45)1 observed

Common x Barrow's Goldeneye (hybrid)

Bucephala clangula x islandica

3/4/2026Walnut Creek RA1 observed

Smith's Longspur

Calcarius pictus

3/4/2026Harvard WPA8 observed

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

3/4/2026Harvard WPA1 observed

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

3/4/2026Harvard WPA1 observed

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

3/4/2026Harvard WPA1 observed

Smith's Longspur

Calcarius pictus

3/4/2026Harvard WPA8 observed

Smith's Longspur

Calcarius pictus

3/4/2026Harvard WPA8 observed

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

3/4/2026Cochran Lake1 observed

Cinnamon Teal

Spatula cyanoptera

3/3/2026Birdwood Creek x Fleecs Rd2 observed

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

3/3/2026Cowboy Trail, Norfolk US-NE 42.00722, -97.444393 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/3/2026stakeout Common Crane--Schultz Rd. (2026)1 observed

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

3/3/2026The Oaks1 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/3/202669147, Lewellen US-NE (41.3044,-102.0379)2 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/3/20266001–6817 W Schultz Rd, Alda US-NE 40.81523, -98.464841 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/3/20268400–8598 S 70th Rd, Alda US-NE 40.81468, -98.475151 observed

Common Crane

Grus grus

3/3/2026stakeout Common Crane--Schultz Rd. (2026)1 observed

Recent Observations

Blue Jay

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

American Robin

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

Red-winged Blackbird

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

House Finch

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

House Sparrow

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

Northern Cardinal

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

European Starling

Quail Creek

3/4/2026

Canada Goose

North State Highway 11, Ord, Nebraska, US (41.592, -98.907)

3/4/2026

Bald Eagle

North State Highway 11, Ord, Nebraska, US (41.592, -98.907)

3/4/2026

1 birds

Western Meadowlark

North State Highway 11, Scotia, Nebraska, US (41.396, -98.667)

3/4/2026

1 birds

Mourning Dove

Stanton Lake

3/4/2026

1 birds

Snow Goose