KSC-2010-3212

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a female osprey returns to its nest atop a platform in the Press Site parking lot, ever protective of her growing triplets. The adults feed their young until they are fully fledged and defend their brood with great perseverance until they are independent. The osprey, also known as a fish hawk, is well adapted for capturing fish, which make up its entire diet. The soles of its feet are equipped with sharp, spiny projections that give the bird a firm grip on its slippery prey. Kennedy's Press Site is located at the turn basin in Launch Complex 39, making it an ideal osprey nesting place. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge overlaps with Kennedy Space Center property and provides a habitat for 330 species of birds, including the osprey. A variety of other wildlife - 117 kinds of fish, 65 types of amphibians and reptiles, 31 different mammals, and 1,045 species of plants - also inhabit the refuge. For information on the refuge, visit http:__www.fws.gov_merrittisland_Index.html. For information on Kennedy Space Center, visit http:__www.nasa.gov_kennedy. Photo credit: NASA_Jack Pfaller