File:Released to Public "The Nation's Symbol" by NASA George Shelton (2866266881).jpg

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The Nation's Symbol

An adult bald eagle rests near a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Natural fishermen, bald eagles live near large bodies of open water such as lakes, marshes, seacoasts and rivers, where fish are plentiful, as are tall trees for nesting and roosting. While the eagles feed primarily on fish, they also eat small animals and occasional carrion.

As of 2007, there were a dozen eagle nests both in KSC and in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds the center. The refuge 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.