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Vincent Marcrie
ENVL 4300
Professor Tait
April 19, 2016
The Threats and Conservation Measures of Red Knots
The recognition and conservation of endangered species has been a pressing issue for
many years. Many conservation efforts have been difficult to initiate and to continuously
maintain. The Red Knot is an example of an endangered species in New Jersey that has proven
to be difficult to protect from extinction. These birds are threatened by numerous factors, which
include food shortage and habitat destruction attributed to human development, extreme weather
patterns, human error, and natural causes. Conservation efforts to preserve the Red Knot include
the recognition as an endangered species, the passing of the Horseshoe Crab Moratorium
Legislation, beach restoration, and beach closures during migration. Whether this species will
persevere with the continued conservation efforts, or not, only time will tell. I believe that this
specie will continue to struggle to survive based upon the rigorous conservation measures and
the constant changes of the environment, in addition to their inability to adapt to environmental
changes.
The Red Knot is a small bird, typically white and gray, with a black bill; the males white
feathers turn to an orange rust color during mating season. These birds constantly migrate to
different areas of the world depending on the season, but typically remain near shore lines (The
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015); please refer to the maps in figures 1 and 2. During the
winter, the red knots remain at the coastlines near the equator and South America. In the spring,

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the birds prepare to migrate to the northern arctic tundra; they use the east coast shores as a rest
stop in order to rest and refuel before completing their flight. Once these birds reach the tundra,
they remain there throughout the spring and summer in order to breed and raise their young. In
the fall, the birds once again prepare to migrate towards the south. According to the Cornell Lab
of Ornithology (2015), the red knot makes one of the longest yearly migrations of any bird,
traveling 15,000 km (9,300 mi). The red knot typically consumes exoskeleton organisms
including insects, horseshoe crab eggs, snails and slugs, and larvae (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 2015).

Figure 1, (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red_knot/lifehistory)

Figure 2 (http://www.fws.gov/northeast/njfieldoffice/endangered/redknot.html#next)
The red knot is a very unique specie; however, the unique qualities of this bird could
threaten its survival. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2015), the main threats of
survival for the red knots are the shortage of food and the destruction and disturbances of their
habitats due to human development, extreme weather patterns, human error, and natural causes.
One of the most popular food sources for the red knots are horseshoe crab eggs. These eggs are
rich in fat and protein, which help the birds in their flight to the tundra. Unfortunately, the
abundance of horseshoe crab eggs have been on the decline since 1990. According to U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (2015), crab harvests have greatly increased for the purpose of bait for
bigger game and pharmaceutical applications and medications. Both of these industries have
exhausted most of the supply of crab eggs for business expenditures. The red knots greatly
depend on these eggs in order to survive their flight to the breeding grounds.
In addition, the red knots also face threats of survival due to the destruction and
disturbances of their habitats. The world human population is growing at a rate which is
disproportionate to that of the wildlife. Many people seek to build their homes and cultivate in

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areas populated by various species. One of the most popular places to reside is near the beach, if
not lucky enough to obtain a beach-front home. As people choose to reside at the beach, the red
knots are deterred to ever occupy that area of the beach again. Human error has also contributed
to the red knots near extinction. In 1996, the Delaware Bay suffered a great oil spill that
contaminated the beach and the red knots that resided there at the time (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 2015). Along with the birds, the habitat and food supply of the birds were greatly
affected by this catastrophe. Red knots are not only affected by humans, but are also affected by
severe weather events and patterns and natural causes. The U.S. has continuously dealt with
severe storms, which greatly impacted the lives of many people and wildlife. Hurricane Katrina
devastated Louisiana in 2005 as Hurricane Irene hit the east coast in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy
in 2012. Superstorm Sandy had proven to be one of New Jerseys most destructive storms as it
had destroyed many of its beaches. The amount of destruction transformed life on land and in
the sea; beaches had to be restored. Natural causes also affect the red knots and their habitats in
ways that are uncontrollable. In 2007, a red tide occurred on the coast of Uruguay and poisoned
over 300 red knots (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2015). Red tide is the large abundance of
algae, which releases numerous amounts of toxins that poison and kill wildlife. Fortunately, red
tides do not occur all that often, but when they do, it is unpredictable and unstoppable.
Methods on the conservation of red knots and their habitats have already commenced and
continue to persevere. These methods include the recognition as an endangered species, the
passing of legislation banning horseshoe crab harvest, beach restoration, and beach closures.
The red knot was federally recognized and deemed endangered in 2006; however, it was not
deemed as threatened until 2014 and became effective in 2015 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
2015). This was one of the most important steps into conserving the red knots. In addition, New

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Jersey legislators passed and enacted the Horseshoe Crab Harvest Moratorium in 2008; this law
essentially banned the harvesting of horseshoe crabs (New Jersey Audubon, 2014). The purpose
of this law sought to protect the horseshoe crabs and shore birds from threats of survival.
Another conservation contribution is the restoration of beaches. Superstorm Sandy had an
incredible impact on the shore and life all around it. According to Conserve the Wildlife
Foundation of New Jersey (2016), Superstorm Sandy destroyed nearly 70% of the available
horseshoe crab spawning habitat. This attributed to the loss of many horseshoe crab eggs which
rattles the survival of red knots. Countless efforts have been taken to restore New Jersey beaches
and horseshoe crab habitats. The method of closing beaches during certain times of the year also
helps conserve the red knots and their habitat. Delaware Bay close their beaches during May and
June in respect to the red knot migration (Converse Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, 2016).
This allows the red knots to comfortably occupy and refuel before they finish their journey to the
tundra. In addition, Delaware Bay educate beach goers of the importance of conserving red
knots through the use of educational postings at the beach entrance and outside. The only people
allowed on the beach at that time are scientists, who are carefully selected.
While this specie does have a chance of survival, I am not confident that red knots will
continue to persevere even through these conversation measures. The methods of conservation
of these birds are very rigorous. One cannot simply contain these birds in one area and help their
growth, and then release them into the wild. These birds migrate to many different areas and
climates at different times of the year. In addition, the world is constantly changing with the
growth of the human population and increasing amount of severe weather, which leads to the
main issue of these birds not being able to adapt and coexist with humans and crisis. These birds
will not survive because they cannot adapt to changes in their habitat and food resources. Their

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diet is very small and specific to the dependence of horseshoe crab eggs in order to make their
annual flight to the tundra. If these birds did not fly 9,300 miles every year, then they would
have a greater chance of survival. I believe their natural behaviors puts their specie at risk of
extinction.
The red knot is a small bird that thrives on mostly horseshoe crab eggs and long distance
flights to breed in the northern arctic tundra. This particular specie is threatened by the shortage
of nourishment and habitat disturbances brought on by human development, severe weather
patterns, human error, and natural causes. Conservation efforts made to preserve the red knots
include the recognition of the red knots as an endangered species, New Jersey legislature
banning horseshoe crab harvest, beach restorations, and seasonal beach closures. I do not
believe that the red knots will survive beyond the efforts of conservation due to their inability to
adapt to environmental changes and coexistence with humans. The world is constantly changing
and the methods to conserve these birds are too rigorous to continuously implement. Only time
will tell if these conservation methods will create a positive impact on this specie.

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References
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. (2016). Shorebird Conservation. Conserve
Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Retrieved from
http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/protecting/projects/shorebird/conservation/
New Jersey Audubon. (2014). Shorebird/Horseshoe Crab Conservation Campaign Archive.
New Jersey Audubon. Retrieved from
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionConservation/ShorebirdHorseshoeCrabConservationC
ampaign.aspx
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (2015). All About Birds: Red Knot. The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red_knot/lifehistory
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2015). Rufa Red Knot. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Retrieved from http://www.fws.gov/northeast/redknot/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2015). Rufa Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) [threatened].
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved from
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/njfieldoffice/endangered/redknot.html#next