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Birds of a Feather Flock Together at Kennedy

Sandhill cranes are photographed in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.
A different type of visitor explores the area near the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 24, 2021. Kennedy

A different type of visitor explores the area near the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 24, 2021. Kennedy shares space with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to more than 1,000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 types of amphibians and reptiles, 330 varieties of birds, and 31 different mammals. Protected by the State of Florida as a threatened species, sandhill cranes live in the Sunshine State year-round. The wildlife refuge presents an advantageous environment for the cranes, providing a shallow freshwater habitat for nesting, as well as a wide variety of vegetation and prey to feed on. Sandhill cranes mate for life – finding their partner when they are at the age of two – and produce one to three chicks per year.

Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky