Don't forget -- Breakfast with the Birds is happening THIS Saturday!
If you’re planning to participate in the Nebraska Birding Bowl, don’t forget — at least one team member must attend a Nebraska Bird Month program in order to qualify for the competition and our guided bird walk at Rowe Sanctuary is a perfect opportunity to check that box while learning birding tips and exploring the trails with fellow bird enthusiasts!
☕ Light breakfast and coffee begin at 8:00 AM
🚶 Guided walk starts at 8:30 AM
📍 Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary – Gibbon, Nebraska
Loaner binoculars and field guides will be available. All ages and abilities are welcome!
🎟 Be sure to register through the Tickets section above.
Photo: American Goldfinch Patricia McGuire/Audubon Photography Awards
Today, Rowe Sanctuary will be conducting a prescribed burn. The west trails will be closed due to the burn, but the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center will remain open.
We ask that the public refrain from parking in the south portion of our parking lot when visiting today as the prescribed burn will be conducted in the prairie south and west of the center.
Thank you!
Today is the first day of the Nebraska Birding Bowl!
Whether you're a beginner, a backyard watcher, or a seasoned birder, there’s a category for you—and every observation helps celebrate Nebraska’s incredible birdlife. Make sure to register your team, and let’s get birding!
✅ Bird anywhere in Nebraska throughout May
✅ Submit your sightings using eBird checklists
✅ Complete your category requirements to be entered into prize drawings
Prizes include binoculars, birding kits, cash awards, and even a two-night cabin stay at a Nebraska state park!
For the full rules and details, visit: https://birdtrail.outdoornebraska.gov/resources/birding-bowl-rules/
Photo: Jinchao Lyu
While we’re mostly known for our cranes, spring is an amazing time at Rowe Sanctuary to see waterfowl - like ducks! 🦆
Our amazing Facilities Assistant, Kass, wrote this piece about his favorite guests at the sanctuary, highlighting the incredible variety of ducks that return to the Platte River each spring. From familiar faces like Mallards to the occasional surprise visitor like a Cinnamon Teal, these birds bring a burst of color and life back to the landscape.
Take a few minutes to dive into Kass’s perspective and maybe discover a new favorite species along the way! See the link in our Bio!
Photo: Timothy Shore/Audubon Photography Awards
#RoweSanctuary #SpringMigration #Waterfowl #Birding #PlatteRiver #Audubon
Happy Earth Day from your friends at Audubon Great Plains!
Get outside and show some love to all of the incredible birds and the places they call home!
Each year, the Crane Trust Science Team conducts weekly observation flights over an 80-mile stretch of the Central Platte River Valley in Nebraska to monitor the spring migration.
We observed 0 Sandhill Cranes during flight. However, @rowesanctuary recorded approximately 1,000 cranes from their river cam before first light, already moving out to nearby fields prior to our survey.
With numbers remaining below the threshold for an additional flight, this concludes our 16-survey monitoring season spanning October 2025 through April 2026.
Learn more and watch a two minute video of today’s flight with Lead Biologist Bethany Ostrom’s latest blog post using the link below or in our bio: /week-9-of-spring-crane-migration/
Until the cranes return!
📸 @mturbanski
#cranetrust #sandhillcrane #migration #science #breakingnews
While it’s always a little bittersweet to see the Sandhill Cranes leave the Platte River, they’re heading north to take on one of the most important parts of their journey—raising the next generation.
After departing Nebraska, Sandhill Cranes travel to their northern nesting grounds, where they lay their eggs and incubate them for about 29–32 days. Both parents share the responsibility, carefully taking turns on the nest and gently rolling the eggs to support proper embryo development.
Once the chicks hatch, the parents will spend the next three months teaching their young everything they need to survive. From finding safe foods and preening their feathers, to learning how to fly and perform their iconic dances, these lessons are essential for survival.
This video captures Pi (18 days old) learning how to dance from his father, Roy—a small glimpse into the incredible journey of Sandhill crane family life in Alaska.
Video: Christy Yuncker Happ
It’s no April Fool’s joke that the magic of crane season starts with our volunteers.
Our volunteers are the heart of crane season, bringing energy, passion, and care to every guest experience. They’re the ones who turn a simple visit into something truly memorable and magical.
From preparing for the season, supporting education programs, and giving presentations, to working the gift shop, greeting visitors, leading Crane Behavior Basics, preparing meals, helping with research, and guiding tours—our volunteers do it all.
Our staff are incredibly thankful for the time, dedication, and enthusiasm our volunteers share each season. We truly couldn’t do this without you—thank you for making it all possible! You’re the best.
Let’s flip through the nature journal of @johnmuirlaws from his recent trip to witness the spectacular Sandhill Crane Migration at @rowesanctuary and lead our Wild Wonder Workshop there. Our small group enjoyed amazing views of raucous clouds of cranes at dawn and dusk, early morning prairie chicken dances, a wonderful conversation with @amytanwriter and John Muir Laws, and some focused bird drawing instruction in the beautiful classroom space at Rowe Sanctuary. Earlier in the week, he got to see his lifer Whooping Crane and it even danced!🥹🥹🥹
There is a keen joy in spending time in nature with others who love nature and art as much as you do. We hope you can join the fun. We have a few more spots on our 2026 adventures to Maine, Washington State, Minnesota, and California! Check out the events link in bio or visit wildwonder.org/adventures26 for details and to register today. The vibe is joyful, kind, enthusiastic, supportive, and fun…and nature journalers of all experience levels are welcome.
We were so pleased to welcome members of the Gibbon City Council and city staff out to our blind last week!
Being part of a small community is truly a privilege, and we’re grateful to have such wonderful neighbors and partners.
Thank you, @cityofgibbon , for supporting us at Rowe Sanctuary!
Crane numbers may be lower right now, but there are still birds to see!
Cranes tend to leave the western stretches of the Platte River later than the east, so there’s still activity at Rowe Sanctuary. Tours are continuing as scheduled, and we’re still seeing cranes!
If anything changes, guests with reservations will be notified right away. We look forward to having you out!
Photo: Don Brockmeier
