Birding Factoids

415 species
in 46 families

53 of the 246 species
endemic to
North America are
represented here.
No state endemics
1 USA endemics

Nebraska
Hotspots

Nebraska Specialities
(Pause your cursor on the photo to see the species name. Click on the birds for more info... )

Photo copyright Don Baccus

Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Photo copyright Marcus Martin

Greater Prairie-Chicken - Photo copyright Erik Breden

Photo copyright Erik Breden

Photo copyright Jean Coronel

....Platte River Valley and the Rainwater Basin Wildlife Management

District - Near the end of February, though, the region's population swells as 7 million ducks, geese, cranes and other water birds arrive from wintering grounds in the southern United States and Mexico. During the next two months, water birds in almost incredible numbers and varieties pause in the Rainwater Basin to rest and feed.

....Platte River Valley and the Sandhill Cranes - By mid

March, 70 percent of the world's lesser sandhill cranes would crowd a 150-mile stretch of the Platte River between Grand Island and Sutherland.

....Birding Nebraska - by Mary Scott. Join her on a journey sampling

the many treats of this varied state. Information is provided on:

Platte River
Funk Wildlife Production Area (WPA)
Broken Bow
Valentine NWR
Smith Falls State Park
Niobrara NWR
Lacreek NWR (South Dakota)
Homestead National Monument
Burchard Lake
Indian Cave State Park

....Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (located 20 miles

south of Valentine, Nebraska, along Highway 83). More than 260 species of birds have been sighted on the Refuge

....Audubon Society of Omaha - Birding Areas - This list does not cover all

parks and wildlife areas in the Omaha, Nebraska vicinity. It was designed by the Audubon Society of Omaha to help newcomers find some of the best birding areas with a minimum of fuss.

....Sanctuaries and Wildlife Viewing - from Audubon Nebraska. Includes

information on the Lillian Annette Rowe Sanctuary and the Audubon Spring Creek Prairie.

....Spring Migration in Nebraska - a Guide to the

best sites to see birds during spring migration.

....National Wildlife Refuges Index - Nebraska. Includes links

to information on:

Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge - Valentine, Nebraska
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge - Valentine, Nebraska

....The Nature Conservancy of Nebraska - preserve profiles

including:

Salt Marsh
Studnicka Farm on the Platte River

....A Trip to Nebraska’s Platte River - by Stevie Staples. March 12-15,

1998. Nebraska’s Platte River in spring, between Grand Island and Kearny hosts about 500,000 lesser Sandhill Cranes. The cranes feed in corn fields and wet meadows by day and usually stand in the river for protection from predators at night.

Tours and Guides

See DISCLAIMER
>>>>

birdingpal.com...>>

A Birding Pal is not a paid guide, but someone who likes to help out of town visitors. You can become a Birding Pal today! Help someone to enjoy your local birding spots and find a pal to help you when you travel. Click here for Nebraska Birding Pals, or join to be a Birding Pal!

Photo copyright Tina MacDonald

....Nebraska: Platte River & Sandhill Cranes with Victor Emanuel Nature

Tours (VENT) - Nowhere is the arrival of spring more dramatic than on the northern Great Plains in March. As winter loosens its grip, the sight and sound of the first groups of waterfowl, raptors, and field and marsh birds returning to northern latitudes has an appeal all its own. And along Nebraska's Platte River during March there is an ornithological event of global significance: the annual gathering of some half-million Sandhill Cranes--about 80% of the world's population--on their traditional staging grounds.

Nebraska: Platte River & Sandhill Cranes March 16 - March 20, 2002 (5.0 days - limit 16) with leaders Kim Eckert & TBA.

VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

Local Birding Events

....Audubon Society of Omaha - Omaha area bird calendars - by Babs

Padelford

....Wachiska Audubon Society of Southeast Nebraska - Field Trips

....Wings Over the Platte - March 18-21, 1999 - Grand Island, Nebraska

The Platte River area is home to thousands of waterfoul and Sandhill Cranes which are returning home for the spring. The top pick of the festival is the sunrise crane tour. Contact: Grand Island Convention and Visitor's Bureau. Box 1486 - Grand Island, NE 68802 - Phone: 800-658-3178

Rare Bird Alert

Nebraska (Statewide) Hotline: (402) 292-5325

Check also Nebraska RBA Archives

North American Specialities in Nebraska

Information derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5.
These counts will differ in minor ways from counts based on the ABA classification,
but an international checklist system was required to enable world-wide
country to country comparisons.These speciality birds may be uncommon, or extremely rare
at this location, or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of each species
noted below have been made in Nebraska. Consult the Breeding Bird Survey or
Christmas Bird Count data on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center website
to determine the "best" place to see each bird. Species printed in blue are endangered.

USA Endemics in Nebraska
___ Lesser Prairie Chicken
North American Endemic Specialities in Nebraska
___ Baird's Sparrow ___ Bewick's Wren ___ Black-capped Vireo ___ Black-headed Grosbeak ___ Black-throated Sparrow ___ Brewer's Sparrow ___ Bullock's Oriole ___ California Gull ___ Calliope Hummingbird ___ Canyon Towhee ___ Canyon Wren ___ Carolina Chickadee ___ Cassin's Finch ___ Cassin's Sparrow ___ Chestnut-collared Longspur ___ Chihuahuan Raven ___ Clark's Grebe ___ Clark's Nutcracker	___ Common Poorwill ___ Cordilleran Flycatcher ___ Curve-billed Thrasher ___ Ferruginous Hawk ___ Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch ___ Harris's Sparrow ___ House Finch ___ Le Conte's Sparrow ___ Lewis's Woodpecker ___ McCown's Longspur ___ Mottled Duck ___ Mountain Bluebird ___ Mountain Plover ___ Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow ___ Phainopepla ___ Pileated Woodpecker ___ Pinyon Jay ___ Prairie Falcon	___ Pygmy Nuthatch ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker ___ Red-naped Sapsucker ___ Red-Shouldered Hawk ___ Ruffed Grouse ___ Sage Sparrow ___ Sage Thrasher ___ Say's Phoebe ___ Sharp-tailed Grouse ___ Smith's Longspur ___ Spotted Towhee ___ Townsend's Solitaire ___ Trumpeter Swan ___ Tufted Titmouse ___ Western Grebe ___ Whooping Crane ___ Williamson's Sapsucker

Links checked November 30, 2000