NASA/Kim Shiflett
An American flamingo takes a moment to drink water in the Indian River at Haulover Canal on Merritt Island on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. American Flamingos are more common in Mexico and Cuba but the winds from Hurricane Idalia relocated them to Florida in September 2023.
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is northwest of Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Merritt Island’s strategic location along the Atlantic Flyway provides a resting and feeding place for thousands of wading birds, shorebirds, and songbirds. The wildlife refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles.
Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett