Many folks may not realize it, but Nebraska is a birding paradise - especially for migratory species that use our rivers as flyways in the spring and fall. One of the best places in the Cornhusker State to see an amazing variety of bird species in a single day is the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary in southern Nebraska. Situated on the banks of the Platte River, Rowe Sanctuary is a birding hotspot, and on some days during spring or fall migration, you can see literally thousands of birds in a single afternoon at this Nebraska Audubon Center.

Rowe Sanctuary is best known as a staging area for the spring migration of sandhill cranes. In March and April - "crane season" - more than one million cranes will gather at this crucial stopover area to rest and refuel on their journey northward to their nesting grounds. Iain Nicolson Audubon Center offers an intimate experience with these magnificent birds who spend a month or so along this stretch of the Platte River between Grand Island and Kearney.

Even more incredible, this sanctuary and Audubon center often play host to some of the 500-plus whooping cranes that remain in the wild. It is the tallest and one of the - if not the - rarest birds in North America. Whooping cranes share migration paths with sandhill cranes and will often stage and nest in the same areas. Rowe Sanctuary offers the opportunity to get as close to these beautiful black and white birds as you're going to get in the wild. It's because of this that the Audubon center is so popular during crane season. In fact, to protect these species, the center closes the Rowe Sanctuary trails during crane season but does offer several guided "crane experiences" during the season. Reservations for the viewing and photography experiences open up in January and slots tend to go fast. So keep an eye on the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center website for details.

Although best known as a spot for observing cranes, the sanctuary and Audubon center also offer the opportunity to see many other incredible bird species throughout the year, migratory and residents, alike. You may see a northern harrier perform its distinctive hovering as it hunts the grasslands along the river banks or watch a bobolink snatch insects from the air. In fact, well over 200 bird species have been documented at the sanctuary.

So when you're ready to head and see dozens of amazing bird species in the Cornhusker State, let's grab our binoculars and cameras, and head out to the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center in Nebraska, at Rowe Sanctuary near Kearney.