In other parts of the country, people get together for massive outdoor music festivals. In Nebraska, we look forward all year to a different kind of festival. Spring brings a massive influx of winged visitors who will be here only a short time, and we love to get out and see them before they take off again.

Approximately 600,000 majestic sandhill cranes - more than 80 percent of the world's population of this species - will converge on the Platte River in late February through early April, with the peak happening in mid-March.
flickr/Visit Grand Island
The birds feed on leftover corn in the surrounding fields as they rest up during their annual migration. The cranes that stop in Nebraska are on their way to breeding grounds in the far north.
flickr/Charles (Chuck) Peterson
While they are stopped over in Nebraska, the sandhill cranes will put on as much as 10 percent of their body weight in preparation for the rest of their journey. As they congregate and feed, they also perform courtship dances. All of the birds together create a marvelous din - their combined calls and flapping wings make a sound unlike anything else you'll ever hear.
flickr/John Carrel

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Humans who love the crane migration have started an annual festival to celebrate this incredible experience. In 2017, the 47th annual Audubon Nebraska Crane Festival will take place March 16th-19th in Kearney.
flickr/John Carrel
The festival will bring together nature lovers from all over the country to watch the spectacle, learn all about the birds, and go on group birding tours to see the cranes and other birds also congregating in the area. Environmental speakers will give talks on a wide variety of subjects.
flickr/John Carrel
More than 15 exhibitors will also be at the festival, providing information or offering items for sale.
flickr/John Carrel

The Sandhill Crane Festival is an unusual kind of festival in that there’s no loud music, no acres of food vendors, and no plastic souvenirs. This is a festival for nature lovers who know that the best things in life come from the earth.

For more information on the festival, including accommodations, exhibitors, events, and more, click here. While this is the official Audubon festival, there are other events taking place throughout Kearney, Grand Island, and many surrounding areas all through March. Find information about some of the many other crane viewing tours available here, here, and here.

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