21 Species Now Extinct, Removed From Endangered Species List

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 21 species extinct, removing them from the Endangered Species Act.
Most of the species were already rare when first listed as endangered in the 1970s and 1980s.
The extinct species include 10 birds, 8 mussels, 2 fish, and 1 bat across 16 states.
Conservation efforts came too late for these 21 species, highlighting the importance of protecting imperiled plants and animals.
Two additional species were not removed from the list after further analysis, including the disputed ivory-billed woodpecker.