Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is a wildlife rehabilitation facility & tourist attraction dedicated to the rescue & treatment of sick & injured wild birds. This bird sanctuary is located in Indian Shores, Florida, close to St. Petersburg and Tampa.

The Sanctuary is open 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM every day of the week. If you find an injured bird, you can drop it off at the hospital anytime. If you find an injured bird, call their hotline at 727-391-6211.

We recently visited Seaside Seabird Sanctuary on a recent trip to the Tampa area. It was part of our post about 50 free things to do in Tampa with kids, and we had to check it out for ourselves. We prefer rescues and sanctuaries over traditional zoos, so this Sanctuary was right up our alley.

Although the goal of the Sanctuary is to rehabilitate birds, there are also resident birds that can’t be released for various reasons. It can be a fun and educational experience to visit the Sanctuary, and we highly recommend it!

Rent a car for your Tampa adventures

If you decide to rent a car during your Florida vacation, I recommend renting a car from Discount USA Car Rental. I’ve rented cars through Discount USA Rental at the Tampa and St. Petersburg airports, and it’s been hassle-free every time.

Seaside Seabird Sanctuary Location

You can find the Sanctuary at 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, FL 33785. The Sanctuary is located on 3 acres on a beautiful beach. There is free beach access nearby, so you can plan to spend a few hours at the beach before or after visiting the Sanctuary.

If you love beaches, check out the best place to find shark teeth in Florida, the 20 Best Shelling Beaches in Florida, and the 20 Best Beaches near Orlando for Families.

Admission to Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

Both admission and parking and free at the Sanctuary. The main entrance to the Sanctuary is on Gulf Boulevard, but Apple Maps took us to the back entrance on Sunset Blvd. If parking is full, check the back parking lot where more spots are available.

While admission is free, Seaside Seabird Sanctuary runs off donations, and there are plenty of donation boxes. I encourage bringing some cash if you have young children; they’ll enjoy putting it in the birdhouses of their favorite birds (they are donation boxes.) You can also donate online or support the Sanctuary by purchasing from the gift shop.

The Sanctuary has an observation tower that overlooks the beach. Although the main attraction is the birds, this is a very tranquil place, and you won’t want to miss it! It’s also available for special events.

What kind of birds are at Seaside Seabird Sanctuary?

The Sanctuary is home to many birds, including a bald eagle, several types of owls, vultures, pelicans, cranes, a macaw, and many smaller birds. You can meet the resident birds here. Some wild birds also like to hang out, and you might think they have escaped, but they are actually wild and just seem to enjoy visiting the Sanctuary!

Roosevelt, an American Bald Eagle, is one of the most popular residents at the Sanctuary. He has a deformed wing due to an old gunshot wound. As a result, Roosevelt can’t fly well and is not releasable into the wild. 

Is visiting the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary worth it?

Visiting the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is certainly not an all-day adventure, but you could spend a few hours here, especially if you plan it around some of the presentations that are offered. We drove all the way from Tampa and thought it was definitely worth it!

You can also plan to spend some time on one of the nearby beaches, as they are some of the best in Florida. We recommend nearby Madeira Beach, one of our favorites.

Looking for more things to do in the area? Check out the best things to do in St. Petersburg on Viator.

If you like birds, make sure to check out our post: The Ultimate List of Florida Birds.

Visiting the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

I hope you enjoyed reading about visiting the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. Have you visited? Let us know what you think in the comments. Would you like more posts about specific attractions? We have a few, but we will gladly add more if you enjoy this time of thing! You can also check out our Dinosaur World Florida Review.

More Florida Travel Tips

Don’t forget to check out even more of our best Florida travel ideas for things to do near Tampa:

• The best place to find sharks teeth in Florida
• 16 things to do in Crystal River with kids
• The 10 best places to see sea turtles in Florida
• The best strawberry farms in Florida
• 15 fantastic things to do in Siesta Key
• Unique things to do in Naples, Florida

About Florida Travel With Kids

Florida Travel with Kids was started by a family who loves to travel the state of Florida with kids! This site will help you explore the fun state of Florida and all of the kid-friendly activities you’ll find here. If you want even more tips, join our mailing list. We’ll share any new tips and tricks we learn, along with Florida news and recent blog posts of our adventures.

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