Crane Trust sees record number of sandhill cranes on first aerial survey

ALDA, Neb. -- The migration season is back and a record number of sandhill cranes are arriving.

The Crane Trust said its science team recorded the highest count on record on the first week of its aerial survey.

The reason?

“We anticipate that the reason that the crane numbers are higher this year at the start of the season is because of the warm weather,” said Director of Fundraising and Outreach Matt Fong. 

Fong said the science team has been performing the aerial surveys weekly during migration season since 1998. The team flies over an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River first thing in the morning. They estimated a record number of 38,000 sandhill cranes on Feb. 14. 

Cranes mean big business in central Nebraska. According to an economic impact study done in 2017, more than 46,000 crane visitors came to visit the area during migration that year. 

The Crane Trust Center will start offering virtual tours to its members on Saturday.

“We do restrict our virtual crane tours just exclusively to members but it’s a great way for you to see the crane migration really from wherever you are and you can actually you know watch at your kitchen table or in your recliner each day,” Fong said. 

The center also offers to bird-watching blinds starting March 1.