Sight · Overseas Highway
A short boardwalk stop for rescued birds and bay sunsets.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Overseas Highway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Overseas Highway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Overseas Highway audio tourRecorded for this place
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary“Up ahead is Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary in Tavernier, a short boardwalk visit with a purpose. The resident birds can’t return to the wild, so these enclosures provide permanent care after rescue and rehabilitation.”
Plays as you drive up to Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary in the Parkwolf Overseas Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary is a compact, self-guided refuge in Tavernier for native birds that cannot return to the wild. A boardwalk passes outdoor enclosures and educational signs before opening to the bay. Stop for close looks at rescued birds and their stories; this is a short wildlife visit, not a long nature walk. Admission is free, with a donation requested. Keep the residents wild and do not touch them.
Move slowly along the enclosures to spot pelicans and owls, then read the signs to see why each bird remains here. The organization mentions pelican feeding, but no fixed time is posted, so don't build the stop around seeing one. A staff-led tour can be arranged through the organization if you'd like more context.
Laura Quinn began helping injured birds with a local veterinarian, and the refuge that carries her name opened in 1991 after the nonprofit's incorporation in 1988. The organization rescues and rehabilitates wild birds, releasing them when possible; birds judged non-releasable live out their lives here. That mission makes the enclosures part of a conservation visit rather than a petting experience.
Pause at the boardwalk's end for the bay-side view; the sanctuary highlights it as a sunset stop. For a bird photo, wait for a clear view at an enclosure and keep space between you and the birds. Parking is in a small lot that can be tight for larger vehicles. Navigate to 93600 Overseas Highway; the organization's Mission Wild Bird Hospital and education center at 92080 Overseas Highway is a separate facility. Pets aren't allowed.
Wildlife
18 sightingsCrocodileMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
255 sightingsAlligatorMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
55 sightingsManateeMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
70 sightingsCommon Bottlenose DolphinMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
1,120 sightingsKey DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Overseas Highway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Sight · 0.8 mi awayHarry Harris ParkA protected swim area, picnic shade and boat launch in one stop.
Food · 1.4 mi awayBlond Giraffe Key Lime Pie FactoryKey lime pie on a stick and a garden break in Tavernier.
Visitor center · 1.6 mi awayMission Wild Bird Education CenterA look at the work behind wild-bird rescue in the Keys
Sight · 2.7 mi awayPlantation Tropical PreserveA small hammock preserve with a paddle launch and memorial garden.
Visitor center · 4.6 mi awayREEF Ocean Exploration CenterA dry-land hunt for more than 100 reef fish.Parkwolf’s Overseas Highway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
