A bald eagle on the ground may be protecting its food or resting after a hunt for food.

A bald eagle on the ground may be protecting its food or resting after a hunt for food. This one was spotted near S.R. 3 on Kennedy Space Center, close to its nest. The nest is one of a dozen active nests throughout the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the Center. Eagles' habitats are near lakes, rivers, marshes and seacoasts. Nests are masses of sticks, usually in the top of a tall tree. Even though they are fish eaters, bald eagles will take whatever prey is available and easiest to obtain. Bald eagles which live along the coast and on major lakes and rivers feed mainly on fish. Bald eagles fish in both fresh and salt water. Because of the energy expended during hunting, an eagle has to spend a lot of time resting quietly. It's estimated that only one out of eighteen attacks are successful. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann