16 FYI Guide 2011
WHERE WE LIVE Pottawattamie County JOHN SCHREIER WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
MACEDONIA – Roughly a dozen pairs of yellow eyes stare down visitors as they enter the Stempel Bird Museum. The stuffed hawks, owls and falcons greeting visitors in this Pottawattamie County museum are just a handful of the roughly 300 birds on display for the public. The collection started because of a passion for wildlife by longtime Macedonia doctor Guido Stempel, who died in 1917. Stempel feared the extinction of many of the species he saw in the hills and prairies near this town, which lies 20 miles east of Council Bluffs by the West Nishnabotna River. His gift to future generations of Iowans was a donation of more than 200 species of birds, many of which were stuffed with cedar chips for preservation in the early 20th century. Most of the birds still maintain the lifelike poses Stempel strove to create a century ago. “It’s a grand collection,” said Ruby Bentley, president of the Macedonia Historical Society. “Where else can you see these so up close?” The museum might be the closest anyone can get to a whooping crane. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that only 400 of these tall, majestic white birds still roam wild today. Visitors also can view species not native to the continent, such as a parrot and a European goldfinch. While eyes might move directly toward the larger birds of prey and game birds, the museum also houses an array of tiny, colorful songbirds and hummingbirds. Although the historical society keeps windows shut and lights down to help preserve the birds, visitors can contact City Hall or the Pioneer Trail Museum to schedule a tour.
Stempel Bird Museum
We have enjoyed serving our community since 1991. T 275+ Years Combined Experience T 750+ Hours of Annual Education T Less than 1/4 of 1% of our clients experience an audit 2008
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712-328-2600 533 S. Main Council Bluffs, IA 51503
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