In 2011, FMPTA Studios filmed the movie "Murder! It's For the Birds" on the grounds of where the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary currently sits.


"Murder! It's For the Birds" was a murder mystery comedy about two con artists who plan a murderous plot to steal a Sea Bird Sanctuary. The movie was directed by Dotty Pesillo, and written and produced by Ellen Schnur & Miriam Goodspeed. The movie starred Jeannine Fallio, Frank Santini, Leon Salem, Midge Mamatas, Cora Anne Williams, Peaches-Joy Brown, John Archer Lundgren, Joseph Mammina, Davina Reid, Lytia Brooks, and Debbie Rallo.

On average, The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary releases 669 rehabilitated wild birds back into the wild each year.

Since its opening in 2016, The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary has maintained a 4 1/2 star rating on TripAdviser each year, with 340 people out of 617 people giving the Sanctuary a 5-star "Excellent" rating.

This does not include all the other types of bird seed, fruits, berries, vegetables, peanuts, shrimp, and ​dog food that the Sanctuary uses.

On September 16, 2010, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche visited the site of where the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary currently sits, and performed a Buddhist ceremony to bless the Gulf of Mexico.

  • On average, The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary's Injured Bird Rescue Hotline receives 2,338calls every year.
  • On average, Sanctuary Rescue Volunteers conduct 300 rescues each year. 

In 2018, An episode of the syndicated television show Animal Outtakes was filmed on location at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. The episode aired in the shows fifth season (episode 22) on May 10th, 2018.

Did you know that the iconic pelican statue that overlooks Gulf Blvd. in front of the Sanctuary's entrance actually has a name? His name is "Lucky" and if you look closely you will see he has a hook in his mouth, and line wrapped around his wing.

In 1982, an episode of the popular children's show, Captain Kangaroo, was filmed on the grounds of where the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary currently sits.

  • July 13, 2016: The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, LLC was founded.
  • September 1, 2016: Seaside officially moves into it's current location located at 18328 Gulf Blvd. in Indian Shores. 
  • ​December 15, 2016: The Seaside Seabird receives it's 501(c)(3) non profit status from the Internal Revenue Service.
  • ​March 30, 2017: The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary holds it's official grand opening celebration. The event is attended by several local city officials, members of the media, and the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce. 

With over 100 permanently disabled birds living at the Sanctuary, as well as all the sick and injured birds that are admitted into the Sanctuary's hospital on a daily basis, the Sanctuary goes through a lot of food to feed the birds. On Average, the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary goes through the following amounts of food per week:

- 1,750 lbs. of fish (per week).                      - 25 lbs. of cracked corn (per week).

- 57 lbs. of ground beef (per week).             - 25 lbs. of sandhill crane chow (per week).

- 6,000 mealworms (per week).                     - 20 lbs. of dove seed (per week).

- 140 rats (per week).​                                     - 20 lbs. of waterfowl feed (per week).

- 70 mice (per week).                                     - 15 lbs. of apples (per week).

​- 10 lbs. of grapes (per week).

Seaside's Director of Operations, Keith Wilkins, and Hospital Director, Melissa Dollard, appeared live on the WMNF 88.5 fm radio show "Talking Animals" on November 7th, 2018.

  • On average, 2,223 sick and injured birds are admitted into the Sanctuary's hospital each year for treatment and rehabilitation.
  • On average, 44.5% of all sick & injured birds admitted to the hospital are successfully treated and rehabilitated.