A new event in Funk will welcome crane watchers to the area and give residents a chance to learn more about birds that migrate through Phelps County including the magnificent whooping crane.
Crepes and Cranes (aka pancake feed) will be from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, at the Funk School Community Center, 301 Main St. in Funk. It is a freewill donation meal. A representative from the US Fish and Wildlife Service will give a short program at 9 a.m. about the Funk Waterfowl Production Area.
That evening, the FSCC will host its annual Trivia Night with Askin’ Nebraskan, and one round will include questions about cranes. Trivia night begins at 6 p.m., and teams should pre-register at https://forms.gle/h6AEDh35wmpj5ebz7.
The Funk Waterfowl Production Area, located just north and east of Funk at 73746 V Road, is a prime area for bird watching at all times of the year. In early spring, bird watchers have a chance to catch a glimpse of the rare whooping crane at the Funk WPA. According to savingcranes.org, only 836 whooping cranes are in the world and 134 of those are in captivity.
The whooping crane is North America’s tallest bird, standing about 5 feet tall with a wingspan of more than 7 feet. It weighs between 13 and 17 pounds.
USFWS Rainwater Basin Project Leader Brad Krohn said it’s common to see whooping cranes in the Funk WPA in late March to mid-April depending on whether there is water in the wetland.
In 2023, 45 whooping cranes stopped in Phelps County in April, and 32 of those were at the Funk Waterfowl Production Area.
The Funk WPA accommodates bus parking and has public restrooms available during business hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday). No park sticker is needed.
Krohn said February, March and April are also prime times to view pintail and mallard ducks and thousands of snow geese migrating through the area.
The 2,000-acre WPA has an information kiosk at the central parking lot with maps.
The Funk WPA also features the 3-mile Funk Peterson Trail, which was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2008. A handicapped-accessible wooden walkway takes visitors directly into the Rainwater Basin for an up-close view of nature.
For directions and more information, visit the Funk Waterfowl Production Area website.
Sandhill Cranes can also be commonly seen feeding on empty cornfields in northern Phelps County just south of Interstate 80. Every year, nearly 1 million Sandhill Cranes (80 percent of all the cranes on the planet) land in the central Platte River area of Nebraska on their trek to their Arctic and subarctic nesting grounds.
We invite you to stay in Holdrege at one of our three hotels and enjoy the cranes and other birds. From here, it’s an easy drive to see bald eagles and pelicans at Harlan County Lake, just 25 miles south of Holdrege on Highway 183.
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