Watch the action on the LIVE Sandhill Crane Nest Camera ... broadcasting live from Bud's Children's Desk during library hours, and streaming 24/7 for your enjoyment from anywhere else.

The camera is at the site where Greater Sandhill Cranes have previously nested along the Yampa River.
 

Warning: This is a wild sandhill crane nest and anything can happen. While we hope the nest is successful and both eggs hatch, many things can happen to prevent this, including the eggs being infertile, predation of the eggs, chicks or adults, and natural disasters. We cannot control problems related to mother nature, disrupted signals, etc.

History of this crane nesting area

• In 2022, a new pair of Greater Sandhill Cranes (a.k.a. Fred and Wilma) nested near the 2021 spot. We watched this pair build a nest on April 11, 2022 (watch the video here), though this is not the site they ultimately chose. This nest was located at the edge of the camera’s range and was hard to see. After consulting with the experts, Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition decided to move the camera closer to the nest, being careful not to disturb the cranes. During the move, they discovered a third pair of cranes in the area, building a nest about 500 feet from the nest occupied by the Nest Camera cranes! On April 15 the pair on camera laid their first egg in the nest, and on April 17 they laid their second egg. On Sunday, May 8 one of the eggs was lost, but the second egg hatched and we enjoyed many spring days observing the little colt. Watch 2022 highlights here.
• In 2021, a pair of Greater Sandhill Cranes (a.k.a. Rocky and Athena) nested for the first time on camera here in the Yampa Valley. Here are the highlights of their nesting and the hatch.
• Watch a recording of our interactive talk with the crane experts at Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition: Everything You Want to Know About Greater Sandhill Crane Nesting.

2023 Crane Coloring Contest

A favorite part of the annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival is the Crane Coloring Contest for kids. Ages 3 to 18 are eligible to participate. Click here for contest rules and to download and print the crane drawing which was designed by artist Sandi Poltorak. A contact email must be included on the back of your contest entry in order to be eligible for a prize.

The Greater Sandhill Crane Video

Enjoy a video for third graders, their families & all the Yampa Valley craniacs! As the host of the annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival, Bud Werner Memorial Library teamed up with the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition to make an educational video about Greater Sandhill Cranes in the Yampa Valley. All of the region's third grade students get a live in-classroom presentation of this curriculum. The 22-minute video is geared toward elementary school students, but appropriate for all ages. Stream the video below.

Additional curriculum for teachers!
We've created a worksheet to guide understanding of this video and of the cranes for your students. Download the worksheet here, and find notes to teachers about the worksheet here.