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History And Economic Impact Of Crane-Watching In Central Nebraska, Gary R. Lingle

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The first documentation of the Platte and North Platte rivers' importance to sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) dates from the late 1800's. Except for a few ornithologists, it was not until the mid-1970's that crane-watching became popular. During the last 10 years, this interest has become a multi-million dollar tourist industry that attracts people from around the globe who seek to witness this vernal spectacle of half a million cranes. More than half of the former riverine habitat has been abandoned by the cranes, largely because of irrigation and hydropower projects that drain the river and enable forests to …