Nebraska: Sandhill Cranes & Prairie-Chickens

Greater Prairie-Chicken © Steve Bielamowicz/Macaulay Library

A matchless experience with untold thousands of waterfowl and cranes, a wide diversity of raptors, and a morning spent watching the dramatic courtship dances of Greater Prairie-Chickens.

Arranged exclusively for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Golden-wing Society, this springtime tour is the opportunity to witness what may well be North America’s greatest wildlife spectacle. Every spring, several million northbound birds stage on the Platte River of Nebraska, among them a dazzling 80 percent of the entire world population of the Sandhill Crane. We will round off our explorations with an exciting visit to grasslands that still echo with the eerie booming and cackling of Greater Prairie-Chickens on the lek.

While cranes and prairie-chickens are at the center of our explorations, Bald Eagles, Rough-legged, and Red-tailed hawks (often including striking dark-morph and intermediate-morph individuals), and other raptors will be present in open country, while Wild Turkeys, Barred Owls, and Harris’s Sparrows may be found in more wooded riparian habitats. Depending on the weather and water conditions to the north, waterfowl numbers and diversity range from high to overwhelming, and a highlight of this tour is the chance to study at our leisure, and often at close range, several species of ducks and geese that can be challenging or less familiar.

A very special aspect of springtime birding on the Great Plains is the piquant combination of eastern and western species. Over the course of our tour, we may encounter both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, or Eastern and Spotted Towhees; junco “flavors” can be expected to include Slate-colored, Oregon, Cassiar, and perhaps even Pink-sided Juncos.

This trip will be hosted by Erin Pierce and another member of the Lab team. Guiding our activities will be Rick Wright from Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, a respected organization with a long history of collaboration with the Lab. Together, we’ll experience the marvelous birdlife and other natural history of this magical season on the prairies. Our outdoor activities will be complemented by plenty of relaxed social time, a chance to learn about recent news from the Lab, and time to simply enjoy a great spring getaway.

While Cornell is pleased to facilitate travel opportunities for its alumni and friends with tour operators that specialize in high-quality educational travel, please be aware that Cornell does not conduct, manage or operate these travel experiences, or act as an agent for travelers interested in tours. Tour operators and travelers are responsible for making their own safety decisions concerning this travel, and, as a facilitator between travelers and the tour operators with whom travelers make arrangements for completing travel, Cornell’s role and liability are strictly limited.

Specific tour operator and national health and safety protocols will apply to each trip, and travelers should review all protocols and trip terms and conditions, including terms and conditions regarding cancellations, refunds, health and safety, and insurance prior to making a reservation. Cornell is not responsible for changes to trips or travel arrangements or for losses or additional expenses resulting from travel.

Nice accommodations and food; mostly roadside birding with relatively little, non-strenuous walking; primary birding focus at dawn and dusk, sometimes requiring early or late meals; possibility of winter-like weather.

Sandhill Cranes © Shirley Sobkow/Macaulay Library