Nebraska

38,000 Sandhill Cranes Flock to Nebraska in a Record-Breaking Start to Spring Migration

Published

2 years ago

February 22, 2024

38,000 Sandhill Cranes Flock to Nebraska in a Record-Breaking Start to Spring Migration

Sandhill cranes fly over Nebraska’s Platte River, where they gather each year during their spring migration, in 2009.
USFWS

A record number of sandhill cranesÂ arrived in central Nebraska during the first week of their annual spring migration, likely lured by mild winter temperatures.

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of the tall, long-legged birds begin making their journey north to breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada and eastern Siberia. Out of all the worldâs sandhill cranes, 80 percent use Nebraskaâs Platte River as a pit stop, where they fatten up on corn kernels left over from the previous fallâs harvest.

Their yearly Nebraska stopover usually lasts from mid-February to mid-April, with individual birds staggering their arrivals and departures. Each bird spends about a month in the state, with their numbers typically peaking around mid-March at roughly 500,000 cranes.

Sandhill crane in flight — Sandhill cranes can gain as much as 20 percent of their body weight during their stopover in Nebraska.
Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0
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Once migration begins, wildlife biologists at the Crane Trust in Wood River, Nebraska, conduct weekly aerial surveys to count the birds. This year, during their first count of the season on February 14, they recorded an estimated 38,000 sandhill cranesâthe highest first count on record since they began conducting the surveys in 1998. Most of the birds were found along an 80-mile stretch of the river between the towns of Chapman and Overton.

During a typical year, between 6,000 and 8,000 sandhill cranes have usually arrived by the first count. Last year at this time, biologists counted 6,400 cranes.

Scientists werenât surprised by the numbers, however, as they match up with patterns theyâve seen during previous mild winters.

âThe winter of 2021-2022 was also a fairly mild winter, and we had around 27,000 cranes on Valentineâs Day that year,â wrote Bethany Ostrom, a wildlife biologist who conducts the aerial counts, in a February 15 update posted on the Crane Trust website.

Central Nebraska also saw a high number of sandhill cranes during the recent fall migration, with some birds even opting to spend much of the winter in the region. An estimated 14,000 to 15,000 sandhill cranesâand two rare, endangered whooping cranesâstuck around for the holidays.

âWe do have occasional small groups of cranes overwinterâ¦ but we have never before seen this large of a group stay here for so long,â wrote Ostrom in a preseason post on February 6.

Birders hoping to witness the annual congregation still have plenty of time to get to Nebraska to see the cranes. Though early counts can sometimes indicate when the birdsâ numbers will peak, their arrivals depend more on daily and weekly weather patterns. Cold fronts, for example, can delay the peak.

âThere are many factors that play into cranesâ decisions when to migrate, many of which we probably do not understand,â wrote Ostrom.

Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest bird species on the planet, according to the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary in Gibbon, Nebraska. Archaeologists at Ashfall Fossil Beds in northeast Nebraska unearthed the fossilized remains of a crowned craneâa close relative of the sandhill craneâthatâs estimated to be roughly ten million years old. The oldest sandhill crane fossil, found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida, is roughly 2.5 million years old.

The birds havenât been visiting Nebraskaâs Central Platte River Valley for quite that longâmillions of years ago, the river didnât exist. But, as soon as it formed near the end of the last ice age, around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, sandhill cranes began stopping by, according to the center.

Birders from around the world often follow the cranes to Nebraska, waiting patiently at dawn and dusk in viewing blinds located along the river. The birds roost on the braided riverâs sandbars at night, then take to the skies at sunup and head toward neighboring corn fields. They return to the safety of the river at sunset.

Lots of birds flying in the sky — The birds gather by the thousands along the Platte River.
Sarah Kuta
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Sandhill cranes have a distinctive aesthetic: Standing three to four feet tall atop stick-thin legs, they have light gray feathers covering most of their bodies. Their crown is a deep crimson color, and they have white patches below their eyes.

In Nebraska, the birds spend most of their time eatingâthey can put on as much as 20 percent of their body weight during their sojourn in the Cornhusker State. But they also use this time to strengthen their social bonds with one another, especially their mates. Sandhill cranes can be seen âdancingâ with each other in the fields, a behavior that involves jumping up and down, bobbing their heads and extending their wings. As Katie OâReilly wrote for Sierra last fall, the annual gathering is âpart family reunion, part singles dance, part interÂ-flock house party.â

Even when theyâre not visible, cranes announce their presence with a unique trilling sound called bugling. When tens of thousands of them bugle at the same time, âthe sound is deafening,â writes Amber Travsky for the Laramie Boomerang.

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Nebraska

Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.

On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.

Arwinderjit Singh mugshot(Dawson County Jail)

During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.

After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds... — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.(Nebraska State Patrol)

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.

Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.

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Nebraska

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.

According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.

“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”

The senior ended his career as the 39th four-time state champion in Nebraska history, winning three at Wilber-Clatonia before joining the Jr. Jays.

Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.

“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.

“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.

Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.

“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.

Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.

“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”

The sophomore won his first state title after finishing as a runner-up at 126 pounds as a freshman.

Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.

“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”

The junior finished the season as a back-to-back state champion after winning a gold medal at 175 pounds as a sophomore.

Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.

“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.

Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.

“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.

“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has selected a former state senator and longtime board member to lead the chamber while it searches for a new president and CEO.

Board of Directors Chair Pat Keenan said Thursday that Matt Williams of Gothenburg agreed to serve as interim president.

ALSO READ: Nebraska Chamber president and CEO resigns after less than a year

“The Board is grateful to Matt for stepping into this role during a very active and productive time for the Nebraska Chamber,” Keenan said. “He has steady leadership, strong relationships and trust from his many years of advocacy for economic development, and decades of experience working with the legislature and state government on tax policy and economic development incentives.”

Matt Williams(NE Chamber)

Williams represented District 36 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015 to 2023.

The chamber said Williams has had a lifelong career in banking and serves as chairman of Flatwater Bank. He previously served as chair of the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.

His long involvement with the chamber includes membership on the Board of Directors; he currently serves as director for District 6. In 2025, he was named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.

“The Nebraska Chamber is on rock-solid footing, with the clear vision of the Board, and talented and hard-working staff hitting its stride in legislative policy and advocacy, technology, manufacturing, leadership-development, fund-raising and membership. The success of cutting-edge initiatives like 6 Regions, One Nebraska, the launch of the Go Big Future series, and the strong member engagement across the state demonstrate the success and strength of this organization. I’m excited to lend my support in whatever way I can for the Chamber. I know how strong businesses and communities make for a stronger Nebraska, and I’m glad to be part of that.”

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