March magic: Nebraska's sandhill crane migration gives new meaning to 'flyover country'
by Beth J. Harpaz, Chicago Tribune
Feb 18, 2019
4 minutes
Surveys asking travelers where they plan to vacation have consistently ranked Nebraska last among the 50 states. No wonder the state chose this for a tourism slogan: "Honestly, it's not for everyone."
But here's a reason (actually, hundreds of thousands of reasons) why Nebraska isn't just flyover country. More than a half-million sandhill cranes stop here each year as they migrate north. They arrive around Valentine's Day and disappear by tax day, April 15.
Peak season for the spectacle is mid- to late March, with massive flocks landing around sunset each day on the Platte River, a few hours' drive west of Omaha. As darkness falls, the birds
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