Morning Liftoff of Sandhill Cranes at Rowe Sanctuary March 11, 2019
Thousands of Sandhill cranes & Canadian geese take off to feed in the morning at Audubon's Crane Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska. Seen on Audubon Rowe Sanctuary cam/YouTube. Edited down from a longer sighting. March 11, 2019
Sandhill-Cranes-Migration-Platte-River-Nebraska-March-2009.wmv
Sandhill Cranes Migration on the Platte River in Nebraska - Thousands of Cranes coming in to roost for the night on the Platte River from feeding during the day in the nearby cornfields.
Taken from a Rowe Sanctuary & Audubon Center Viewing Blind on the south edge of Platte River near Gibbon, NE in March of 2009.
You can hear the unusual warbling - bugling sound the Sandhill Cranes make get louder as more and more of them fly in to roost in the safety of shallow waters of the Platte River.
Sandhill Crane Migration on Platte River Viewing Tips + Photos and Video links at: -- SandhillCraneMigration.com
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Informative Speech- Audubon Nebraska
Title: Protecting Nebraska’s Birds
Topic: Bird species in Nebraska that are endangered and need help.
Specific Purpose: To inform how Audubon Nebraska protects birds in our area.
Thesis: Protecting Nebraska’s birds is important for many reasons.
Introduction: Throughout the state of Nebraska, thousands of different species look for safe habitats to live and grow. Twenty-seven Nebraskan species are considered to be endangered according to an article titled, “Nebraska’s Threatened and Endangered Species”, found on a website named Nebraska’s Rare Species. Protecting Nebraska’s birds is important for many reasons. While saving all endangered wildlife is necessary, I will be focusing on the four species of birds that are close to extinction. Next, we will discuss how Audubon Nebraska has helped. Finally, you will learn how you and your community can get involved.
I. Birds Protected in Our Area
A. Protected Birds (Nebraska’s Threatened and Endangered Species, 2018)
1. Interior Least Tern
a. habitat along the Platte river
2. Piping Plover
a. breed along Platte River
3. Whooping crane
a. less than 600 today
b. Most commonly heard
c. Stop along the Platte river, fall and spring migration
4. Eskimo Curlew
a. is currently extinct in Nebraska
B. Bird threats
1. Human disturbance
2. Habitat loss
3. Pollution
4. Disease
C. Important Bird Areas (Audubon Nebraska, 2018)
1. Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area
a. Located in Burwell
b. Along the Calamus river
c. Home to many endangered species
2. Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary
a. Along the Platte river
b. Located in gibbon
c. Home to the Piping plover
3. Whooping Crane Trust Mormon Island and Wild Rose Properties
a. Along many parts of the Platte river
b. Home to migrating cranes
II. Audubon Nebraska (Audubon Nebraska, 2018)
A. What they do
1. Mission: To protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow
2. Restore and conserve habitats
3. All wildlife, focus on birds
B. History
1. 1970: Spring River Conference
2. 1974: Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon
3. 1986: Audubon month
4. 1997: Nebraska States Office
5. 2003: Important bird areas
6. 2014: Rowe Sanctuary riverfront
C. Locations in Nebraska
1. Spring Creek Prairie Center
2. Iain Nicolson Center
III. How the Community Get Involved
A. Conservation and Education Programs (Audubon Nebraska, n.d)
1. Donations
2. Volunteer
3. Donate equipment or materials
B. Attend Events
1. Crane Festival (Wight, 2018)
2. Bird Counting (Larson, 2018)
Conclusion: In conclusion, there are many species in Nebraska that need to be protected. Audubon Nebraska does many great things in and around our area to assist these species in every way possible. A multitude of conservation areas are provided by Audubon Nebraska for endangered species of birds and other wildlife. As a community, it is important to do your best to get involved in any way you can.
References
Audubon Nebraska. (2018). Retrieved from
At-Risk Species. (2017, March 14). Retrieved from
Janet, Wight. (Janurary 27, 2018). Audubon’s Nebraska Crane Fest is an enjoyable, economical trip. Retrieved from
Colin, Larson. (February 5, 2018). “Year of the Bird” kicks off with bird counting event. Retrieved from
Nebraska's Threatened & Endangered Species. (2018). Retrieved from
Sandhill Cranes, Rowe Sanctuary, Kearney, Nebraska
The number of birds increased as day turned into night, until there were tens of thousands all squawking and running into each other.
Captured on a Canon PowerShot point'N'shoot on March 23, 2011
End of Day at Rowe Sanctuary June 18, 2014
As the Platte River runs high, the day ends in beauty at the Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon, Nebraska. Seen on Crane Cam/Ustream June 18, 2014
Sandhill Cranes Gather at Rowe Sanctuary April 4, 2015
The Sandhill Cranes are an impressive sight at Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon, Nebraska. Seen on Crane Cam/Ustream April 4, 2015
Sanctuary: Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River
Every year one half million cranes migrate through Nebraska
Sandhill Crane Migration Kearney NE Rowe Sanctuary Sunrise 032013
It's another priceless wonder of nature. The annual Sandhill Crane Migration at Kearney, Nebraska, Rowe Sanctuary at sunrise on the Platte River, March 20, 2013. Literally hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes waking up to the morning chill and the promise of a new day. Thank you to the Audubon Society and the Rowe Sanctuary for their continued care and sharing the crane's incredible story. Thank you to the Native Americans and the Nebraska farmers who followed, for they share their harvested corn to fill the cranes' bellies, help keep them safe throughout their 3 to 4 week stay, and nurture this 10,000 year old grand performance for the years to come. This was my first visit to the frenzied cornfields and the sanctuary blinds along the river at sunset, and again at day break. Even though it's 500 miles away from my home, it certainly won't be my last.
Sandhill Cranes return to Nebraska
Sandhill Cranes remain at the height of migration in Nebraska, stopping for weeks to refuel before continuing onwards in their many-thousand mile journey to Arctic summering grounds.
Cranes concentrated in Nebraska have come from Mexico, Cuba and across the southern United States. See a glimpse of their dawn takeoff from the Platte River and feeding in central Nebraska farmland. Footage came from a blind at the Rowe Sanctuary and nearby corn fields on April 1, 2014
Some of the cranes will head for Canada; others will travel as far as Siberia in their annual migration. For more on Sandhill Cranes and their primordial passage through Nebraska, check out the Rowe Sanctuary's website:
Total Solar Eclipse (360°) – Rowe Sanctuary, Nebraska
Experience the Great American Eclipse of 2017 at Rowe Sanctuary along the Platte River in Central Nebraska.
(This video will be edited with other locations from throughout Nebraska, including Alliance, Gibbon and Lincoln, giving viewers a full 360 experience throughout the state.)
Lift Off
An amazing morning at Rowe Sanctuary. Sandhill cranes hung out in front of the blind and put on an amazing show.
Sandhill Crane Migration 2015
Every year for six weeks in March and April, hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes migrate through a fifty mile section of the Platte River in Nebraska. During this time the birds rest on sandbars in the river at night and eat waste corn from the surrounding fields during the day. Morning liftoff from the river can be spectacular!
Whooping Cranes Rowe Sanctuary Nebraska April 5 2014
The two Whooping Cranes landed a little closer to us after an initial morning rise and set about preening themselves while some Sandhill Cranes danced nearby.