Cranes by Lake Hornborgasjön
Naturally, the cranes are closely associated with spring in our region, as this is when they arrive in their thousands to the area around the Trandansen Information Centre, where they remain from mid-March until the end of April. The cranes spend the summer months in the secluded forests and swamps of northern Sweden, where they nest and breed. Once the babies are able to fly, the birds head south again, and by mid-August or September they are back at Lake Hornborgasjön.
Cranes in the spring
The first cranes usually arrive at Lake Hornborgasjön as early as mid-March, although the greatest numbers are usually see in early April. The birds are counted each evening, when they fly to their sleeping places. The record is from Tuesday the 3rd April 2019, when no less than 27,300 cranes gathered in the area below the Trandansen Information Centre, at the southern tip of the lake. This is a great place for crane watching. The Information Centre is located in Bjurum, right next to Road 184 between Falköping and Skara. The Centre has car parks and viewing spots. You can read all about the crane season 2023 here!
Ten things you probably didn't know abot cranes!
How old can a crane get? What does it eat? Why do the cranes gather here? You can read about all this and a little more in our article: Ten things you probably didn’t know about cranes!
Cranes in the autumn
The autumn cranes behave very differently from the ones that arrive in the spring. They are more withdrawn and less patient, and tend to stay at a significant distance from humans. One reason may be parenthood, which requires them to be more cautious and suspicious, as many of the pairs have an almost adult baby in tow.
During the autumn you can see cranes at dusk in Trandansen , Bjurum which is located at the southern part of the lake. You can also see them in the fields north of the lake or on the fertile agricultural land to the west.
Photographer: Kent-Ove Hvass
Statistics and more information
To find out the approximate number of cranes in the area, visit the statistic page of the webpage of the County Administrative Board which counts the number of cranes throughout the season.
For further information about the cranes and birdlife by Lake Hornborgasjön, see www.hornborga.com
Information what you can see and do in the area: www.visithornborgasjon.se
