Sandhill Cranes make historic return to Lake Tahoe

(FOX40.COM) — Something is happening around Lake Tahoe that has not been seen since the days of the Gold Rush: sandhill crane migration and nesting.

These large and graceful birds are well-known for spending their winter in California’s Central Valley, in areas like the Cosumnes River Preserve, before migrating north into Canada for their breeding season.

While sandhill crane populations across North America are large, it was not too long ago that California’s nesting population was near the point of disappearing, according to the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS).

In 1944, the hunting of this magnificent bird left an estimated three to four nesting pairs in the entire state, according to TINS.

“In 1970, lawmakers in the state took decisive action granting sandhill cranes ‘fully protected’ status,” TINS writes. “Six years later, nests were documented in the Sierra Valley, but it was still many decades before they started to reach the Tahoe region.”

Within the last decade, a handful of nesting pairs have been spotted in the Greater Lake Tahoe Basin.

As of 2023, those numbers swelled following an incredibly wet and snowy winter, according to TINS.

Bird spotters located Sandhill Crane nests at Pope Marsh, Washoe Meadows State Park, and the Upper Truckee Marsh.

Despite not all of these nests being successful it foreshadowed a promising reassurance of sandhill crane nesting around Lake Tahoe.

TINS said one of the likely causes for these failed nests is human interference on land and in the water.

“We believe that the Upper Truckee Marsh nest likely failed due to disturbance from recreational paddlers,” says TINS co-founder and executive director Will Richardson. “Despite the fact that the California Tahoe Conservancy posted clear signage for paddlers to stay away from the active nest.”

Other nesting sites, such as those at Washoe Meadows State Park or the Teichert Ponds in Truckee may be subject to disturbance from people walking their dogs off-leash.

As exciting and interesting as it may be to see these birds and their nests, people should keep a healthy distance and mind signage regarding the birds to ensure they continue to call Lake Tahoe home.

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