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Every spring, thousands of people flock to Rowe Sanctuary to witness one of Nebraska’s greatest wildlife spectacles: large concentrations of Sandhill Cranes gathering along the Platte River during their annual migration. The cranes are incredible, but I’m going to let you in on a secret—the birding at Rowe Sanctuary is spectacular even when the cranes aren’t here. And that’s especially good news if you’re a “baby birder,” a “not-a-real-birder-yet,” a “non-eBird user,” someone who is simply “along for the ride,” or, as some might call you, a beginning birder.

Birding is a fast-growing hobby, and there are more tools than ever to help you discover and appreciate the birds around you. But perhaps the best thing about birding is that you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy it; you just need to be curious.

Come Bird with Us—Any Time of Year

Unlike the annual Sandhill Crane Migration, when visitors need to reserve a spot on one of our guided crane viewing experiences, birding at Rowe can be as leisurely as you want it to be. Come when it works for you, stay in the visitor center and bird from our windows overlooking the Platte River or go for a hike on our miles of hiking strays. Stay for 20 minutes or spend the afternoon. Bring your binoculars, a field guide and maybe your phone with a few bird apps or simply bring your eyes and ears. There is no admission fee to visit the Visitor Center, and  staff and volunteers can answer any questions you might have, and we keep a recent bird sightings board where you can see what other visitors have been finding.

So, you want to get into birding? Meet the birding community

One of the most wonderful things about getting into birding is discovering that you are not the only person who thinks birds are cool. There is an entire community of people who are fascinated by birds. You can learn identification tips and tricks from other birders—sometimes things that aren’t in your field guide, and sometimes things that are in the field guide, but you haven’t noticed yet because there are approximately 4,000 tiny details to remember. One way to do that is by attending one of our monthly bird walks here at Rowe Sanctuary; a great way to meet both new bird AND human friends.  One next bird walk is August 29, 2026 you can although registration is not required!

Another great way to discover what’s happening at Rowe Sanctuary is through eBird. It’s one tool beginners can use to become part of the online birding community and see what other birders are finding. eBird is an online platform where birders record the species they see and hear, and visitors can submit simple species lists or add photographs and notes about their observations. If you’re new to birding, eBird can seem a little intimidating at first. There are leaderboards, species lists, personal records, and birders who seem to know everything.

But don’t let that scare you away.

While hundreds of species have been recorded at Rowe Sanctuary over the years, the number of species reported in any given month is much smaller but a typical bird list from a short walk around the sanctuary will include 15-25 species. Don’t worry about seeing the ultra-rare birds; start with the birds that are common and become familiar with them. When you see a bird you don’t recognize, compare what you observed—its size, shape, color, behavior, location, and sounds—with the birds you already know are likely to be here.

And don’t be surprised if your “rare Australian bird that has somehow never been documented in North America” turns out to be a very common bird viewed from a slightly unusual angle.

Trust me. It happens.

Don’t Forget to Listen

One of your most underrated birding tools is something you already have with you: your ears. Birders often focus on what they can see, but birdsong and calls can tell you where a bird is hiding, help you identify a species, and even give you clues about what is happening around you. Sometimes you don't have to see a bird to start figuring out what it is.

The more I learn about birds, the more amazed I am. They don’t always behave exactly as expected. Sometimes taking a few extra minutes to watch reveals behaviors, relationships, or adaptations you might otherwise miss and that’s part of what makes birding so much fun.

Birds are everywhere. At almost any time of day, in almost any place, there is a possibility that you might see—or hear—a bird you have never seen before. Sometimes the answer is a Bald Eagle soaring over the Platte. Sometimes it’s a tiny songbird hiding in the shrubs. Sometimes it’s a bird you’ve seen a hundred times before but suddenly notice doing something completely unexpected.

So come visit Rowe Sanctuary. Come during crane season, certainly—but come in August, September or any other time of year, too. You never know what you might see, hear or what you might discover.