This small Mississippi River town, known to locals for its corn syrup plant and walleye fishing, might seem an unlikely roost for tourists from the Chicago area and beyond.
But with each passing winter, as hundreds of bald eagles fly here to fish the frigid waters and sun themselves in gnarled oaks, Keokuk is gaining a reputation as the bald eagle capital of the Midwest.
Keokuk has been an eagle hangout since Lock and Dam No. 19 went up in 1957. But when the 1960s and ’70s saw the birds come close to extinction, it became one of the few places Midwesterners could see eagles in the wild.
Now, it is a place where the birds show up with each succeeding winter in record numbers, bringing with them ever-growing flocks of tourists.
Many of the curious in town this past weekend admitted they have never been bird-watching before. But what they lack in expertise they make up in zeal, waking at dawn or scrambling onto bridge trestles above the river to catch glimpses of the rare birds.
“One of the guys at work told me about this,” said Richard Motyka, a plumbing supplier who made the six-hour trip from Dyer, Ind., Friday for an eagle-watching weekend. “Next year, I’ll take my son with me. I can’t believe you can get so close to them.”
It was more than a love of nature or curiosity that drove the river-bound bird gazers. As they craned their necks and focused lenses for a better view, they thrilled at the sight of a regal creature, a national symbol on the rebound.
“I figured you had to go to the Rockies to see ’em,” marveled Rhoda Pittenturf of Hamilton, who captured the gliding creatures on a home video camera. “Unusual. Most people never see one.”
Some 2,500 bald eagles spend winters along the Upper Mississippi Valley between St. Paul and St. Louis. But experts say that of all the destinations, Keokuk is perhaps the best place to spy an eagle.
There are apparently more bald eagles this time of year in Keokuk than perhaps anywhere else in North America, except for the Chilkat River in Alaska.
Between December and March, about 400 eagles leave their remote nesting grounds in Minnesota and Wisconsin for Keokuk, looking for a place to eat. While the weather may be just as cold as in the north, Keokuk’s power plant keeps the river waters churning, giving the birds a perfect place to forage for food.
The end of January is considered prime time to see the birds. The several dozen eagle gazers who came to Keokuk this past weekend had no trouble spotting eagles as they perched in trees.
“The only time I’ve seen ’em before is at the zoo,” Motyka said. “They don’t fly at the zoo.”
The birds actually roost on the rural Illinois side of the river, but because Keokuk’s shore offers a clear vantage point, many of the bird gazers camp on the Iowa side.
“I think this is a spot I’m going to come to every so often,” Motyka said as he sat on the hood of his maroon Tercel, gazing out at the river. “It’s incredible. Over on the other side, you can see about 30 of them in a good shot.”
Local hotel billboards are emblazoned, “WELCOME EAGLE WATCHERS,” and images of eagles can be found everywhere.
“Last weekend, we should have just been overflowing,” said Karen Hardy, a receptionist at the Days Inn. “The temperatures just drove people away.”
The town celebrated “Eagle Days” the weekend of Jan. 14. “They put on eagle shows with tame eagles,” Hardy said, “if you can tame an eagle.”
In 1860, some 50,000 pairs of breeding bald eagles roamed the continental United States.
A century later, there were fewer than 400 pairs. They fell to near extinction mostly from DDT, a pesticide widely used until 1962.
“DDT caused their eggshells to be very thin,” explained Marianne Hahn, president of the Thorn Creek Audubon Society. “If a female stepped on an egg, she would squish it.”
Government officials banned DDT in 1972. But the chemical still threatens the survival of the birds.
According to a study released this month by Michigan State University researchers, eagles living along the nation’s coastal regions still have toxic DDT blood levels, leaving them unable to reproduce.
Hahn, who came from Homewood to indulge in some eagle watching, said the Keokuk birds probably resumed having offspring about 20 years ago. As she lined up her field scope for a closer look at the birds, she seemed encouraged by the site of several brown bald eagles, or immatures.
An eagle gets its white tail and crown of feathers usually by the fourth or fifth year of life, a sign of sexual maturity. Come February, a traditional courtship time for eagles, an alert watcher can catch the young birds in the throes of feathered bliss.
“They join talons together, then they start spiraling to the ground with their wings spread out,” said Mike Schell, an officer with the Illinois Department of Conservation. “They get about 30 yards above the water, they let go of their talons and just chatter to each other.”
Schell, who was on the patrol for over-eager eagle watchers, said the birds are easily scared by humans. Key nesting spots such as a boat dock on the Illinois side of the river are roped off.
While people he meets are fascinated by the birds, Schell says many of the tourists know little about the nature of eagles.
“You’ve gotta realize they’re scavengers,” Schell said. “That’s why Ben Franklin wanted the turkey instead of the eagle” for a national bird. “But there’s no doubt when they’re sitting there, they look majestic. They’re majestic as all get out.”
