44 Nebraskaland • March 2026
these birds travel thousands of miles
between their nesting grounds in the
northern U.S. and Canada and their
wintering spots along the Gulf Coast
and deep into Mexico. It's an epic
journey, one that's been happening for
countless generations, and Nebraska
sits right in the middle of their flyway.
In spring and fall, our state
transforms into a pelican rest stop on a
scale that's hard to imagine. Hundreds,
sometimes thousands, of American
white pelicans gather on Nebraska's
big lakes and reservoirs. Places like
Lake McConaughy, Harlan County
Reservoir and Sutherland Reservoir
can look like someone scattered giant
white sails across the water — until
one of them suddenly lifts off and the
entire flock follows, rising in wide,
American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants and American coots flock to a shoreline at Sherman Reservoir Wildlife
Management Area in Sherman County. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
American white pelicans fish at the inlet area of Sutherland Reservoir State
Recreation Area in Lincoln County. JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND
