We chose this photo of a peregrine falcon—a female, walking across the rail of a balcony in Chicago—to inspire hope on Endangered Species Day. Not every animal listed as endangered is doomed to extinction. Peregrine populations were decimated by the use of pesticides, such as DDT, in the mid-20th century. The chemicals accumulated in the birds’ bodies, causing weak eggshells and high mortality rates for chicks. But by the 1980s humans had learned the cause, reduced and eliminated the various chemicals, and helped the birds rebound with gusto.
It’s Endangered Species Day
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
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Flocking together in the Antarctic
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Fire-damaged forest near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
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A tale of almonds and bees
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It’s Siblings Day!
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Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
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The buzz about bees
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Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol
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Fall for birding
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Does this shark have an Irish accent?
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Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
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That s quite a schnoz, baby tapir
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And to think that I saw it in Cappadocia
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Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
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Let the Highland games begin
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Happy Easter from the ‘peeps’ at Bing
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On the Route of the Waterfalls
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Super sandy Sweet 16