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
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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The island fox’s incredible comeback
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Wildlife crossing, Wierden, Netherlands
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International Day of Color
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World Migratory Bird Day
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Bridge of Hillsborough County
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Winter in the Wild West
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A crane for good luck in today’s big game
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Bird’s-eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
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For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One
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At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
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Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
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Welcome to the Hoh
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Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
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A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
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Giants of the avian world
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National Public Lands Day
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The Old City of Bern
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Aloe in bloom
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Who s there? The largest owl in the world
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Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
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Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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Moving as one
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Fibonacci Day
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Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
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Northern coast of Colombia
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Penn Station
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From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
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It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball
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US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years