16 Nebraskaland • March 2020
WEATHER IS FOR THE BIRDS
By Martha D. Shulski
The spectacle of the sandhill crane migration is surely a
natural wonder, and weather conditions play a role in the
movement of these and other migratory birds. Nebraska lies
at the intersection of the sandhill cranes' summer range in
the North American Arctic and winter range in Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico. Bird arrival in spring
is in large part because daylight hours are increasing and
temperatures warming, but the pattern of movement is not
exactly a straight line.
Day-to-day changes in temperature, wind and sky
conditions can promote or inhibit movement of these great
birds. March and April are a key time of year for spring
migration. Although during spring, and any season in
Nebraska, weather can vary considerably.
Taking flight in the morning has been found to correlate
with air temperature (birds prefer the warmth) or even
updrafts from the heating of the Earth's surface. Overall,
temperatures have warmed, especially in March, since about
1960. A recent study of whooping cranes found warmth to be
correlated to migration patterns.
What is on tap for spring 2020? The current seasonal
outlook from the Climate Prediction Center is alluding to a
warmer March through May along the Gulf Coast and desert
Southwest. This may push the instinctual desire for birds
to head north. Transversely, the March and April outlook is
showing a cooler than normal northern Plains.
Cranes moving north sooner than usual may find winter
still grasping the Dakotas and leaving Nebraska with a
longer crane visit. Only time will tell.
Martha D. Shulski, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is
the director of the Nebraska State Climate office.
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO
BY
ERIC
FOWLER
