Threatened Red Knots, the Latest US Protected Species

There are a great deal of US species protected under the Endangered Species Act that you've likely never heard of, and the red knot shorebird was just became the latest on that list.

As of Tuesday, the red knot, a robin-sized bird that annually uses the United States - namely the Delaware Bay - as a rest stop during its incredibly long migrations, was designated as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, earning it a number of ecological protections.

"The red knot is a remarkable and resilient bird known to migrate thousands of miles a year from the Canadian Arctic to the southern tip of South America," US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this hearty shorebird is no match for the widespread effects of emerging challenges like climate change and coastal development, coupled with the historic impacts of horseshoe crab overharvesting, which have sharply reduced its population in recent decades."

Ecological surveys have revealed that the bird has seen a population decline of about 75 percent since the 1980s. This was largely due to the fact that their lives are heavily dependent on making that yearly journey to South America, where they winter and mate.

If there isn't enough food to go around when these migratory birds show up to rest in Delaware Bay, many simply won't make the journey. And with Delaware's main dish for these birds being horseshoe crab eggs, the situation has been getting progressively worse.

"Although historic threats in the Delaware Bay area have been ameliorated thanks to the actions of federal and state partners, our changing climate is posing new and complex challenges to the red knot's habitat and food supply," Ashe explained.

What he's talking about is a phenomenon that is occurring across the world, in which seasonal shifts and changing weather patterns are throwing the synchronicity of many species out of whack. In Delaware Bay, horseshoe crab egg production traditionally peaks around the same time the red knot shows up. However, in recent years the timing has been off, leaving a great many migratory of birds hungry.

"It has never been more critical that we take positive action to save this bird," Ashe added.

In the wake of the red knot's new designation, the FWS is now reviewing US range data concerning the shorebird, looking to highlight several regions that would be critical for ensuring the remaining migratory population has an easier trip.

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