Environmental advocates heartbroken over sale of Florida seabird preserve

Bird Key, a nesting sanctuary bought for a song in mid-1980s, is for sale for $31.5m as a golden opportunity for a developer'

Environmental advocates in Florida say they are heartbroken that a wealthy investor who once intended to save a historic private island as a seabird preserve now wants to sell it for development into Miami's most exclusive address".

Bird Key, one of only two natural islands in upper Biscayne Bay, was named by British surveyors in 1770 during the reign of George III for its abundant wildlife, and has served as an unspoiled nesting sanctuary since then to scores of species of native birds, including egrets, cormorants, herons and pelicans.