2021 Perry Photo Challenge Aeriel Frey, Finalist
Nebraska’s Great Crane Migration Exemplifies Mother Earth’s Bounty
The Sandhill Crane migration through West-Central Nebraska’s Platte River basin is a natural phenomenon that has spanned tens of millions of years. The migratory route established by these birds through the wetlands of the Great Plains have fostered an important connection between the species, the land and the waterways. The Sandhill Crane has thrived for millenia in part, due to the bounty of the land and waters of the great Nebraska prairie.
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Flying high above crops grown in rural western Nebraska, are the Sandhill Cranes. One of the oldest known species of migrating birds known to man. Evidence dating back nearly ten million years indicates that these creatures have been migrating from as far away as Florida and New Mexico in Southern North America to the tundra of Siberia in Eastern Asia, for mega-annums. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major
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The Platte River in Western Nebraska becomes home to the Sandhill Cranes every spring and fall. These birds come to eat and find a mate when they stop. During the daytime they will scavenge for food in fields and in the riverbed. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
Cranes mate for life. You will typically see them in a pair or in a group of three. If there happens to be a third joining the pair, that is most likely their colt - the name for a crane’s offspring, that stays with them for up to nine months. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
To become acquainted with a mate, cranes will “dance” with each other. This dance involves a series of moves including the shaking of tail feathers and fluttering of their wings. While it is not exactly Dirty Dancing, it appears to accomplish the goal of attracting a mate for life. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
From late February to mid-April, upwards of six hundred thousand cranes will populate the Platte River basin in the Gibbon region of West Central Nebraska. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
The Platte River is the migratory home to the Sandhill Cranes. Attracted to the wetlands, cranes will nest in the river beds at night and forage for food in the fields during the day. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
Erv Nichols and Sandra Noll have travelled from New Mexico to Rowe Sanctuary every year for the past 15 years. They volunteer at the sanctuary by maintaining the lookout spots and the trails. They dedicate their time to help educate visitors to the sanctuary about these exceptional creatures and their travels throughout history. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
Sandhill Cranes are omnivores and eat just about anything they can get their beaks on. Their subspecies has become one of the strongest of all of the cranes because of their eating habits, communication skills, and overall adaptability to subtle climate changes. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major -
Sandhill Crane spotted south of Gibbon, Nebraska, perhaps looking for a place to settle in for the day. Photo by Aeriel Frey / Sophomore / Broadcasting major