Hornborgasjön, Trandansen, view of the field - Sweden
The cranes' spring festival at Hornborgasjön - now you can follow them live
At the southwestern end of Lake Hornborgasjön lies Trandansen. Trandansen is the name of the classic birdwatching spot at the southern end of Lake Hornborgasjön where thousands of whooping cranes (Grus grus) gather every spring on their long migration north. The spot is located near Bjurum Church, along road 184 between Skara and Falköping, and is one of the most famous nature experience destinations in Sweden. Here, crane watching has been a popular festival since the early 1950s. Around 150,000 visitors come to Trandansen every spring - from both near and far - to see the cranes carry light to bed. Normally, larger flocks are seen from mid-March to the end of April. Trandansen is most visited in early April when the cranes are often at their most numerous - in some years there can be tens of thousands of individuals on site at the same time.
At Trandansen there is an information center open during the migration season. Here visitors can get information about the cranes, see exhibitions, buy souvenirs and coffee, and pay a parking fee, the proceeds of which are used to feed the cranes with barley to keep them in the reserve and reduce damage to agricultural lands.
Read more on the website.