Rescue - Rehabilitate - Release -

The Mission of Save Our Seabirds

We are committed to the RESCUE and REHABILITATION of sick and injured birds, with the goal of being able to RELEASE them back to into their natural habitats.

We also have 100+ "resident" birds who couldn't be released due to their injuries. We use their stories to educate the public about avian conservation. 


Our Avian Hospital is Here for All

We are the ONLY organization in Southwest Florida that does everything that we do:

 

  1. We respond to over 5,000 bird rescue calls per year.
  2. We host over 25,000 visitors in our Wild Bird Learning Center each year.
  3. We offer four fully-accredited field trips that are age-appropriate for students in grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
  4. We provide summer camps all season long.
  5. We offer a rigorous internship program that hosts college interns throughout the year.

 

Save Our Seabirds receives over 5,000 distress calls each year from caring citizens throughout the Sarasota-Manatee area. Our initial response is to ascertain what might be wrong with the bird and whether it is feasible to actually catch the bird and bring it to our hospital. We then dispatch the nearest available rescuer from our list of volunteers to transport the bird to our hospital for treatment. Our full-time, on-site veterinarian typically attends to 1200-1400 birds annually in our avian hospital. We do everything we can to rehabilitate and release the bird back into the wild, preferably near the place where it was rescued. The most common injuries are caused by fish hooks, automobiles and golf balls.


Birds that are unable to be released back into the wild are given permanent homes in natural habitat setting at our Wild Bird Learning Center , which is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Our Living Museum


Our unique Wild Bird Learning Center offers fascinating educational displays featuring live birds that have been injured and treated, but are unable to be returned to the wild.

We house over 120 birds in our three-acre facility, which is essentially an outdoor “ Living Museum ” with very informative and educational signage.

Strolling along our "Birdwalk," visitors compare and contrast the various types of diversification and adaptation that make each species unique, and also gain an insight into why each species has evolved specific features, such as beaks, legs, feathers, or feet, in order to survive in their respective natural habitats. Visitors also learn about the various environmental risks to birds, and how to help minimize them.

Our long-term goal is to establish a lasting, world class rehabilitation, education, and research organization that will continue to fulfill our mission for generations to come.