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Nebraska Birding Guide

Nebraska Birding Guide

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Storm clouds over grasslands.

Top birding sites

Nebraska is brimming with a variety of natural areas and wonderful birds. The following 20 sites showcase the state’s best birding opportunities from the tallgrass prairies in the east to the Pine Ridge in the west.

Tallgrass prairie

Nebraska’s tallgrass prairie ecoregion covers the eastern fourth of the state and consists mainly of rolling hills bisected by the stream valleys of the Republican, Platte, Loup, and Niobrara rivers. We recommend visiting these eight spots to experience birding in the tallgrass prairie ecoregion.

A sailboat moves across the water against the backdrop of fall foliage one evening at Branched Oak State Recreation Area.

Branched Oak State Recreation Area

Fontenelle Forest

Gavin’s Point Dam & Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area

Harvard Waterfowl Production Area

Fall color creeps into the woodlands above the Missouri River as seen from the scenic overlook at Indian Cave State Park in Nemaha and Richardson counties.

Indian Cave State Park

Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center

Ponca State Park

The reconstructed East Ranch at Rock Creek Station State Historical Park in Jefferson County was a stop on the Oregon Trail and a Pony Express Station in the mid-1800s.

Rock Creek Station State Historical Park

Learn more about tallgrass prairies

Mixed-grass prairie

The Mixed-grass Prairie Ecoregion is a transition zone where tallgrass and shortgrass prairies merge, meaning it takes on characteristics of both landscapes. In the east and along floodplains tallgrass prairie species tend to dominate, while in the western part shortgrass species are in abundance. We recommend visiting these three spots to experience birding in Nebraska’s Mixed-grass Prairie Ecoregion.

People ride along the hike/bike trail at Fort Kearny State Recreation Area.

Fort Kearny State Recreational Area

Harlan County Reservoir

Sandhill cranes at Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon.

Rowe Sanctuary

Learn more about mixed-grass prairies

Sandhills

The Nebraska Sandhills represents the largest natural ecosystem in the state, covering 19,300 square miles, or almost a quarter of the state. It is also one of the largest remaining intact native grassland ecosystems in the country. We recommend visiting these four spots to experience birding in Nebraska’s Sandhills.

Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

Rain falls on the Nebraska National Forest, Bessey Ranger District, near Halsey in Thomas County. October 3, 2015. Photo by Eric Fowler, NEBRASKAland Magazine, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Nebraska National Forest, Bessey District

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge.

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

Learn more about the Sandhills

Shortgrass prairie

Though it is referred to as the Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregion, much of this region in western Nebraska supports dry mixed-grass prairie, shortgrass prairie, sandsage prairie, pine woodlands, badlands, and other vegetation types. This ecoregion features diverse topography, including several areas of rocky escarpments. We recommend visiting these five spots to experience birding in Nebraska’s Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregion.

Kiowa Wildlife Management Area near Morrill.

Kiowa Wildlife Management Area

Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area

Oliver Reservoir

Buttes at Fort Robinson State Park during summertime with sunflowers in the foreground along Sowbelly Canyon Road.

Sowbelly Canyon Road & Coffee Park

Aerial of the Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area in Scotts Bluff County. Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area south of Gering features a modern Nature Center and Shooting Complex and rugged landscape. Haag, Oct. 4, 2017. Copyright NEBRASKAland Magazine, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area

Learn more about shortgrass prairies

Find more birding locations in Nebraska

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