American bald eagles are building a new home at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida. – Journey through the historic 6,000-acre spaceport Floridaon the east coast, visitors are likely to see old rockets, a vehicle assembly building, and launch pads. However, along with all the human innovations, the Kennedy Space Center has become famous for its sanctuary for thousands of animals, including America’s national bird.

Every year, the space agency reports that American bald eagles are settling into the center and nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

NASA said the space center averages 11 active nests each year, but the nest, made famous by its fame near the vehicle assembly building since 1973, was no longer used by migratory birds.

Biologists believe severe storms in 2021 and an infestation of pine bark beetles severely damaged the nest and weakened the tree, forcing a pair of eagles to start building a new nest. Only recently the birds built a nest and moved.

“You always wonder where they are going to rebuild. And the most interesting thing is that they built it closer to the road, which creates more wildlife activity so people can see up close,” said Russell Lawers, longtime wildlife biologist at KSC. “That’s why I’m so excited – because they actually rebuilt the nest closer to the general public.”

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The new nest is close to NASA’s famous Vehicle Assembly Building and perched in a tree along Kennedy Boulevard.

Biologists said an eagle was spotted in the new nest during a recent helicopter flight, but they couldn’t tell if she was incubating the eggs.

“I’ve been here since 1984 and I’ll still slow down and watch; I honestly get goosebumps,” said Reza Kankro, Geographic Information Systems Analyst at KSC.

Experts say that eagles incubate their eggs for about 35 days, and the feathers necessary for flight begin to appear in eaglets between eight and 14 weeks.

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It is likely that the eagles will spend only a few months at the space center, as many birds tend to migrate north during the late spring and summer during the non-breeding season.

It is estimated that in the wild in the lower 48, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency reports that the bird population continues to grow rapidly, and because of the growth, the American bald eagle was removed from the list of endangered species in August 2007.

The animals continue to be protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prevent bird interference or disturbance.

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