At which bay do migrating red knots gather to feed on horseshoe crab eggs?

Migrating red knots gather at Delaware Bay to feed on horseshoe crab eggs.

Each spring, red knots stop around Delaware Bay during their northward migration from South America to Arctic breeding grounds. Their arrival coincides with the spawning of Atlantic horseshoe crabs. The birds eat the nutrient-rich eggs exposed on beaches, rapidly rebuilding the fat reserves needed to complete the final journey to the Arctic.

This link creates a strong ecological connection between a shorebird and a marine invertebrate. When horseshoe crab harvests increased, the number of eggs available to birds declined in some years, contributing to severe population pressure on red knots. Conservation measures now regulate harvest and protect important beaches.

Red knots have a distinctive seasonal appearance: breeding adults develop a rusty-orange face and breast, while nonbreeding birds are mostly gray. The species is a long-distance migrant, but Delaware Bay is especially important because a short feeding stop can determine whether birds reach their breeding grounds in good condition.