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Falcon Populations Drop
Peregrine falcons are raptors, or birds of prey. They eat smaller animals. The populations of these raptors in the United States dropped dangerously low from the 1940s to the 1970s.
peregrine falcon
Effects of DDT
DDT is a chemical used to control insects. From 1939 to 1972, it was used widely on crops. Then scientists proved it was harmful to wildlife.
Small levels of DDT got into the bodies of small animals. Peregrine falcons ate the animals, and the DDT collected in the falcons’ bodies. It caused falcons to lay thin eggs that broke before the babies could hatch.
DDT affected many animals. In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring to make the public aware of the problem. Finally, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the general use of DDT.
Peregrine falcons are again one of the most common birds of prey, living everywhere but Antarctica.
From 1940–1975 the number of nesting pairs of peregrine falcons dropped from over 3,000 to under 400.