Your visit to Salty Dog and South Beach Marina is incomplete without saying HELLO to our feathered family members. All of our birds are rescues or were given to us, mainly because we strive to offer our birds a great home with the best of care. These big birds are a lifetime commitment and we definitely take our job seriously. In exchange for our love, they offer endless hours of entertainment and photo fodder.

The history of these birds dates back to our opening days over 35 years ago. Earnest and Roscoe, the avian residents of the South Beach T-Shirt Shop, were originally introduced to the South Beach Marina in 1987 to contribute to its island ambiance. Both birds are open banded which means they were most likely taken from their tropical home in South America as many parrots were smuggled into the the USA in this manner. This method of acquiring birds is no longer legal, and fortunately, The Wild Bird Conservation Act was enacted in 1992 to protect exotic bird species from international trade. While we wish we could return them to the Amazon Rainforest, it is doubtful that they would have a chance of survival.

Roscoe recently retired in 2024 and Merlin, another Yellow Naped Amazon stepped up into his cage. Merlin is also open banded and is about 36 years old. Ernest and Merlin always look forward to the offseason and they spend the winters relaxing and being groomed, etc.

Kiwi, our first Blue and Gold Macaw, was a fishing buddy of the legendary Captain John Braddocks and Jake the Salty Dog. Captain Braddocks decided to entrust our crew with the care of Kiwi in 1991 so that he could oversee the building and operation of Kiwi's Island Cookout.

The turn of the century heralded the arrival of Captain and Cherokee. Both of our new friends happily perched side by side with Kiwi in our outdoor aviary in the South Beach Courtyard. Captain, a Scarlet Macaw, and Cherokee, a Blue and Gold Macaw, were owned by a couple of landlubbers who loved Kiwi's idyllic environment so much that they gifted us this entertaining pair.

Our Scarlet Macaw aka Red Bird and our Military Macaw aka Green Bean took up residence at The Salty Dog T-Shirt Factory at Arrow Road in 2005. They were later joined by our third Blue and Gold Macaw, Cosmo, in 2015. These mischievous little guys seem to take great pleasure in startling unsuspecting shoppers as they make their way into the store. We were very fortunate to receive Bailey, a Hyacinth Macaw, and he lives at Arrow Road with the other Macaws. The Hyacinth is the largest of all parrot species.

Remy, our resident African Grey Parrot, has a penchant for trying to nibble on unsuspecting human finger tips. Remy can be rather, shall we say, crabby with the other birds, so she resides inside at Arrow Road with her own play center and lots of attention from the staff.

If this is your first visit to the Salty Dog be sure and introduce yourself to this beautifully plumed cast of characters. Even if the weather prevents them from frequenting their outdoor habitat, their indoor open aviaries are available during business hours. Just ask any Salty Dog crew member to point the way.