2nd Annual Crane Watch Festival

The 2nd annual Crane Watch Festival dates have been set for March 22nd through March 31st.  This year's festival will continue the tradition with a calendar of fun-filled, educational, family activities, entertainment and community wide events taking place in Kearney, Minden, and Gibbon.  Please check out our calendar for this year's new events!

About Sandhill Cranes

For 6 weeks, late February to early April, something magical happens in the heart of Nebraska. More than 80% percent of the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes converges on Nebraska’s Platte River. The Sandhill Cranes travel from southern wintering grounds to northern breeding grounds in Canada, Alaska and Siberia. They stop along the Platte to rest and gain body fat as they prepare for their journey. Fossils of wing bones dating back nine million years have been discovered in Nebraska. Whooping Cranes, eagles, ducks & geese, and shorebirds are among the other wildlife that migrate through Central Nebraska. It’s an amazing sight and one that can only be truly appreciated in person. The Kearney area offers a variety of guided and self-guided crane viewing opportunities.

In 2010, the City of Kearney proclaimed the Kearney area as Sandhill Crane Capital of the World.

For additional Sandhill Crane information and articles, visit www.visitkearney.org.

Plan for next year...