Sandhill Crane Migration Travel to the Platte River in Nebraska around this time of year, and you co

Sandhill Crane MigrationTravel to the Platte River in Nebraska around this time of year, and you could see thousands of Sandhill Cranes. An estimated 500,000 Sandhills migrate through Nebraska between February and April, with the peak number of birds in March, as they travel from their wintering grounds to their breeding grounds.Cranes have been around for a surprisingly long time. Fossils records show that there were Sandhills in Nebraska more than 9 million years ago; back when that part of the U.S. was more like a savanna. Cranes have evolved very little in that time and continue to live in many of the same places even though the habitat has drastically changed.There are 3 sub-species of Sandhills that migrate, and 3 that do not. The 3 migrating sub-species winter in northern Mexico and the southern U.S. When it’s time to migrate, they travel around 320 to 480km per day to (200 to 300 miles), although they can make it as far as 800km (500 miles) on a good day. Many members of all 3 migrating species pass through Nebraska.The cranes stop along the Platte River for about a month to feed and build up fat for energy. They have developed a beneficial relationship with farmers in the area by eating around 1,600 tons of waste corn left in farm fields that the farmers themselves would otherwise have to remove. They also eat invertebrates such as earthworms, snails, and insect larvae. After they have put on about .45kg (1 pound) of weight, they head north to their breeding grounds in the northern U.S., Canada, and eastern Siberia. Sandhills travel during the day and look for wetlands to roost for the night.The Sandhill migration has proven to be a popular tourist attraction, bringing around $8 million to Nebraska’s tourism industry each year. Unfortunately for them, global warming may cut down on their revenue. Sandhill migration patterns, wintering grounds, and breeding grounds are all expected to change as the climate warms.REPhoto Credit: Grand Island Convention and Visitor BureauReferences:http://bit.ly/1GILkeLhttp://bit.ly/1GcnuY9http://1.usa.gov/1G3wdNFhttp://bit.ly/1FszqVE -- source link

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