Meatball at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida. Credit: Photo via Seaside Seabird Sanctuary/Facebook

Since 2002, the Avian Welfare Coalition has celebrated National Bird Day, to commemorate the end of the three-week Christmas Bird Count, a citizen survey that involves birdwatchers from around the world.

In Indian Shores, the eight-year-old Seaside Seabird Sanctuary hosts its own celebration where the nonprofit introduces visitors to the some of the birds it’s helping (like Meatball, pictured after Hurricane Milton) inside of its Dr. Marie L. Farr Avian Hospital, where a small team of staff and volunteers care for approximately 3,500 birds every year.

Guests, including any kids under 18 who show up with a parent or guardian, will also learn how to make a difference for birds in their own backyards.

National Bird Day at Indian Shores’ Seaside Seabird Sanctuary happens on Sunday, Jan. 5 and is free with registration. Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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This article appears in Dec 26, 2024 – Jan 1, 2025.