OUR MISSIon
Iowa Bird Rehabilitation’s purpose is to recover, rehabilitate and release wild birds in Iowa.
Iowa Bird Rehabilitation (IBR) is a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Iowa where we provide care for songbirds, waterfowl, gamebirds, shorebirds, and small raptors. IBR was founded in 2012 and was formally established as a non-profit in 2018. Currently, there is no other organization in central Iowa that provides the same unique benefits we offer to both the community and nature. We have taken in over 7,000 birds to date, with an average yearly increase of 25%, admitting over 1800 birds in 2022 alone.
IBR relies on volunteer help with rescue, transport, care, resource management, media, community outreach and education. We are exceptionally positioned to serve the Des Moines metro area, and beyond, in providing education, enrichment, and volunteer opportunities to people of all ages who have an interest in local avian conservation. We also provide valuable assistance, education, and advice to a growing number of people in our community who value Iowa’s wildlife.
Iowa Bird Rehabilitation is a nonprofit, volunteer based organization whose goal is to recover, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured wild birds in the state of Iowa. We are licensed through the Iowa DNR and have a federal permit through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Iowa Bird Rehabilitation (IBR) is a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Iowa where we provide care for songbirds, waterfowl, gamebirds, shorebirds, and small raptors. IBR was founded in 2012 and was formally established as a non-profit in 2018. Currently, there is no other organization in central Iowa that provides the same unique benefits we offer to both the community and nature. We have taken in over 7,000 birds to date, with an average yearly increase of 25%, admitting over 1800 birds in 2022 alone.
IBR relies on volunteer help with rescue, transport, care, resource management, media, community outreach and education. We are exceptionally positioned to serve the Des Moines metro area, and beyond, in providing education, enrichment, and volunteer opportunities to people of all ages who have an interest in local avian conservation. We also provide valuable assistance, education, and advice to a growing number of people in our community who value Iowa’s wildlife.
Iowa Bird Rehabilitation is a nonprofit, volunteer based organization whose goal is to recover, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured wild birds in the state of Iowa. We are licensed through the Iowa DNR and have a federal permit through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
HOW WE STARTED
Jenni Boonjakuakul, founder and CEO, has loved animals her entire life, but it wasn't until she found a baby crow in 1999 that her love for wild birds grew. That little crow, named Clover, changed her life. After raising the baby, and doing many things that most wildlife rehabilitators would cringe at, Jenni decided if she was going to help birds, she better learn how to do it right. She contacted the local wildlife group in her area, and by the following summer was taking in baby birds with the proper training and the proper permits. All this while living in a 2 bedroom apartment and finishing graduate school.
After graduate school, Jenni was unable to participate in much bird rehabilitation due to living in small apartments in San Francisco, but would periodically find and help pigeons, ducks, and even once a rooster! It wasn't until 2007 when she and her husband moved to Iowa that life as a rehabber really took off (flying!). In 2012 Jenni finally obtained her own Wildlife Rehabilitation permit for Iowa started keeping track of the number of admits.
Year: # admitted:
2012 170
2013 260
2014 354
2015 435
2016 588
2017 773
See the trend???
It was in 2017 that Jenni realized she needed help. Up to this point she took care of all the birds on her own, this meant feeding baby birds every hour from sunrise to sunset (mainly between May through September). This also meant funding all the food and medical herself as well. Over the past few years she was lucky enough to have a volunteer or two help out once or twice a week, but the rest of the time it was up to her to help all the little feathered critters that came into her care.
So in 2018 Jenni established Iowa Bird Rehabilitation as a non-profit with hopes of encouraging and training new wildlife rehabbers as well as obtaining more volunteer help and in addition, generate donations to keep the birds fed and cared for.
After graduate school, Jenni was unable to participate in much bird rehabilitation due to living in small apartments in San Francisco, but would periodically find and help pigeons, ducks, and even once a rooster! It wasn't until 2007 when she and her husband moved to Iowa that life as a rehabber really took off (flying!). In 2012 Jenni finally obtained her own Wildlife Rehabilitation permit for Iowa started keeping track of the number of admits.
Year: # admitted:
2012 170
2013 260
2014 354
2015 435
2016 588
2017 773
See the trend???
It was in 2017 that Jenni realized she needed help. Up to this point she took care of all the birds on her own, this meant feeding baby birds every hour from sunrise to sunset (mainly between May through September). This also meant funding all the food and medical herself as well. Over the past few years she was lucky enough to have a volunteer or two help out once or twice a week, but the rest of the time it was up to her to help all the little feathered critters that came into her care.
So in 2018 Jenni established Iowa Bird Rehabilitation as a non-profit with hopes of encouraging and training new wildlife rehabbers as well as obtaining more volunteer help and in addition, generate donations to keep the birds fed and cared for.