Situated as it is near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Kennedy Space Center hosts space shuttles and this symbol of our nation-the majestic bald eagle. A mature eagle stands watch near its nest. The nest, which is out of frame, is in a pine tree on Service Road 3 that runs through the space center.
There are a dozen eagle nests within Kennedy and in the surrounding wildlife refuge. Bald eagles, which mate for life, use a specific territory for nesting, winter feeding or a year-round residence. Its natural domain is from Alaska to Baja, Calif., and from Maine to Florida. The Merritt Island refuge also includes several wading bird rookeries, many osprey nests, up to 400 manatees during the spring, and approximately 2,500 Florida scrub jays. It also is a major wintering area for migratory birds. More than 500 species of wildlife inhabit the refuge, with 15 considered federally threatened or endangered.Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky