Look at that big nest!
The crane and waterfowl migration is well underway and our prairie grouse (Greater Prairie-chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse) will soon begin their annual spring shows along with the gobbling of wild turkeys and the crowing of Ring-necked Pheasants.
March is also a great time to notice some other facets of the birding landscape along the Chicken Dance Trail. There are a lot of large nests that are very noticeable right now in our cottonwoods and other large trees that will be easy to overlook once these trees start to “leaf out”. Here are some “large nests” to watch for in southwest and south central Nebraska before the trees get their foliage on them.
Round nests
If you see a roundish looking ball of stuff up in a tree, there are a couple of possibilities
If it is made up of sticks and a whole lot of leaves it is likely a Fox Squirrel nest, but if what you find is literally just a big ball of sticks with a hole on the side, that would be a Black-billed Magpie nest.
While Black-billed Magpies are not nesting yet, and won’t for some time, keep track of those nests because they will often reuse them. Black-billed Magpies seem to be in decline due to West Nile virus and other factors, so an active magpie nest is a find worth reporting. They are most likely to be encountered in the western portions of Nebraska, but some are found in other parts of the state as well.
Small to mid-sized nests with flat tops
Most of our raptors will utilize some sort of stick nest, typically fairly high up in a tree. Some species, such as Cooper’s Hawks, have relatively small nests, about 12-18 inches wide. Other species, such as Great Horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks and Swainson’s Hawks, use nests that may be up to three feet across or more. If you find one, watch these closely right now. Great Horned Owls are likely already incubating their eggs and by late March some will be feeding fluffy young. Red-tailed Hawks are pairing up now and may be starting to build new nests or touch up old ones. By the end of March, they will be incubating as well.
Very large stick nests with flat tops
If you happen to notice nests that look as if you could park a car on them (perhaps a slight exaggeration) you are probably looking at an eagle nest. Bald Eagles are nesting in greater numbers in Nebraska and there are nests scattered across the state, with most of them being near rivers or other bodies of water. Eagles are already paired up, working on nests, and could even be incubating already. If you happen to notice a Bald Eagle nest, please report it to your nearest Nebraska Game and Parks Commission office or email me at thomas.walker@nebraska.gov.
Groups of flat stick nests
If you happen to notice a bunch of stick nests up in tall trees, you may be looking at a “heron rookery”. There are heron rookeries scattered across the state, generally close to, if not right above, water, although some can be a mile or more away. These groups of nests are easy to detect before the leaves grow on the trees and by the end of March, some Great Blue Herons will be starting to claim and work on these nests. Typically these rookeries only contain Great Blue Herons in Nebraska, but if you are lucky, you may find egrets, cormorants or maybe even Night Herons in a rookery. All of these species are being tracked as part of the Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas project, so if you happen to notice a rookery, please report it to me at thomas.walker@nebraska.gov.
Where to look
It isn’t hard to find these big nests if you watch. They occur along nearly every highway and may be found in that single large tree out in a pasture, in the groves along a creek or river, or in the shelterbelt near a homestead. Even on a trip along Interstate 80, with a watchful eye, you may notice many raptor nests and even a rookery or two. Feel free to report nests of magpies or raptors, or heron rookeries to me at the email address above. And get out there and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of spring that will be here soon.T. J. Walker
Wildlife Biologist
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
North Platte
About the Chicken Dance Trail
The Chicken Dance Trail is actually a collection of great bird watching locations in southwest and south central Nebraska, between the Platte and Republican Rivers. Because the area includes the narrowest section of the hourglass-shaped Central Flyway, the Chicken Dance Trail is uniquely situated for birders. Millions of different birds come through here during spring and fall migrations, making the Chicken Dance Trail one of the best places in the country to see a wide variety of species in a relatively small area.
Our bird watching sites were developed by local naturalists and birding experts and are collected into a series of bird watching “adventures” which are described in detail, along with interactive maps, on our Web site at www.chickendancetrail.com. Other resources include a birding chart, useful birding links, and guides to restaurants, lodging and activities in the area.
Our wildlife and bird watching sites were developed by local naturalists and are collected into a series of “adventures” which are described in detail, along with interactive maps, on our Web site at www.chickendancetrail.com. Other resources include a birding chart, useful links, and guides to restaurants, lodging and activities in the area.
Come and visit and learn why we say, “Birds love this part of Nebraska...and you will too!”
Special Thanks to:
Nebraska Game and Parks, Birds of Nebraska
www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/birds/findbirds.asp