The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and Avian Hospital's trained staff have been busy with the rehabilitation of the gannets that arrived at the sanctuary from the panhandle oil spill areas. Our staff is directly assisting with the bird rescue mission in the panhandle as well as caring for wild birds transported to the sanctuary for rehabilitation. We appreciate so much the enormous response from people near and far to help us in this national disaster. Your donations and adoptions of these birds will help in our rehabilitation efforts greatly
The sanctuary is the largest wild bird hospital in the U.S. based on the admission of over 8,000 injured birds each year. It is set up to immediately triage, stabilize and administer fluids to, malnourished, or injured birds. The Sanctuary has received thousand's of emails and calls from around the world from concerned groups and individuals.
The Sanctuary staff and volunteers were a significant workforce in the disastrous Tampa Bay 1993 oil spill and has experienced avian care staff on standby to assist Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. To report oiled wildlife affected by the Gulf oil spill please call the Wildlife reporting hotline at 1-866-557-1401.
Founded in 1971 by zoologist Ralph T. Heath, the Sanctuary is world renowned for its innovative rehabilitation techniques, and was the first facility to breed Eastern Brown Pelicans in captivity. The Sanctuary is staffed by experienced professionals and dedicated volunteers. Similar to a human hospital, it is equipped with emergency facilities, a surgical center, bird injury recovery areas, and an outdoor wild bird recuperation area.
See Cute Black Skimmers and chicks on our beach
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/pinellas/suncoast_bird_sanctuary_black_skimmers_070209
Watch Volunteers Help Release Rehabilitated Brown Pelicans: http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Pelican_Release_1031
Display areas feature permanently injured birds that have been given a home at our bird sanctuary. Any offspring they produce are released into their natural environment. At any given time, visitors can view in excess of 600 wild birds. So come and visit our wild bird sanctuary and see how we help injured birds. The Sanctuary is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation which depends solely on the financial support of caring individuals.
Open 365 days a year - 9:00 am to Sunset
Admission is always FREE.
OUR BIRDS . . . By the Numbers
600 Pounds of fish to feed our birds per day
20 - 45 Birds rescued or admitted per day
38 Years as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit seabird sanctuary
365 Days open per year - EVERYDAY ALL YEAR!
12 Average hours per day hospital is open for rescued birds
150 Average number of volunteers each year
34 Workers on staff needed to treat all the birds
8,000 Up to 8,000 birds admitted each year
85 - 90 Percent of injuries birds suffer from humans
# 1 Largest nonprofit wild bird hospital in U.S.
90 Average percent successful release rate of injured pelicans
16,000+ Number of international sanctuary members
$1,000,000 Annual sanctuary dollars needed to save the birds
