Our Mission

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is Miami’s premier native wildlife hospital evolving into a world-class wildlife rescue, rehab, release, and education center. We are dedicated to improving the lives of sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife with the goal of releasing healthy animals back into the ecosystem, thus enabling future generations. We embody the highest level of patient care, compassion, and integrity while promoting community engagement on the importance of wildlife conservation.

About us

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station was founded in 1980 for the purpose of caring for injured brown pelicans and has grown into an internationally recognized center for seabird rehabilitation.

We are not a government agency. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity and operate solely on donations. We seek to conserve our area’s wildlife through rehabilitation, education and research.

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Our goal is to heal animals impacted by mankind and return them to their ecosystem. We specialize in brown pelicans and serve the greater Miami metropolitan area.

The Seabird Station began in 1980 with a tool shed and a single aviary. We have grown steadily since then. While we’re still famous for our work with brown pelicans, we have expanded our work to assist all native wildlife. Our facility receives thousands of sick, injured, orphaned and displaced wild animals each year. They range in size from warblers to tortoises.

In recent years we have grown to accept most native wildlife, with an emphasis on native birds. 2,209 patients spanning more than 131 native species were treated in 2023.  Since our inception, over 43,000 patients and 300 species of birds have been treated. We provide a variety of services to our community.

Beyond our wildlife rehabilitation program, we help our local communities in other ways. We provide educational programming to local schools. We assist local municipalities and residents with a humane resolution of human-wildlife conflicts. We also pair with other organizations and government agencies on research efforts that seek to protect wildlife.