For Immediate Release: February 28, 2008

Contacts:
, American Bird Conservancy, 202/234-7181 ext. 216

Groups Seek Emergency Listing of Red Knot Under Endangered Species Act

Data in scientific report highlights need for immediate action

(Washington, D.C.) Emergency protections are needed to prevent further catastrophic declines in numbers of Red Knots, warns a letter submitted to federal officials yesterday by American Bird Conservancy and eight other conservation groups.

“The Endangered Species Act has repeatedly proven* that with its resources and conservation tools, even the most imperiled birds, such as the California Condor and Whooping Crane, can recover and thrive once again,” said Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy’s Executive Director of Conservation Advocacy. “We urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Interior to address the imminent danger of extinction facing the Red Knot, and enact our emergency listing petition without delay.”

The letter, from American Bird Conservancy, American Littoral Society, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Defenders of Wildlife, Delaware Audubon, Delaware Nature Society, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, National Audubon Society, and New Jersey Audubon Society comes on the heels of a new report by 20 shorebird biologists from around the world, which details the rapid and ongoing decline of the migratory shorebird’s populations in the Western Hemisphere.

Red Knots rely on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their migration. Photo by Mike Parr.

“The science was clear years ago that the Red Knot faces imminent extinction yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to list this bird. The causes of the Red Knot’s decline have only gotten worse in the two years since that decision. The most recent information leaves no doubt that the Service should list it immediately,” said Jason Rylander, staff attorney, Defenders of Wildlife.

The letter from the conservation organizations was submitted to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dale Hall, and asks that the federal agencies use emergency authorities to list two subspecies of the Red Knot under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The letter cites a new scientific report also submitted to FWS today, titled “Update to the Status of the Red Knot Calidris canutus in the Western Hemisphere, February 2008.” A similar letter signed by Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-M.D.) was also sent to Secretary Kempthorne urging him to place the rufa subspecies of the Red Knot under the protection of the ESA.

The new report confirms that both the rufa and roselaari subspecies of Red Knot in the United States need immediate protection or risk further decline and extinction. In addition to the evidence showing decreased populations of both subspecies of Red Knot, the report also found that body weights of Red Knots caught in the Delaware Bay during their spring stopover have fallen significantly due to the reduced availability of horseshoe crab eggs that are needed to sustain the shorebirds on the last leg of their migration to breeding grounds in the Arctic. Delaware and New Jersey currently do not have strong enough conservation measures in place to ensure adequate numbers of horseshoe crabs, and the Department of the Interior has failed to request the funds necessary to deal with the growing number of candidates – now totaling 282.

Two years ago FWS denied a listing petition for rufa subspecies on an emergency basis, but eventually issued a 12-month finding on the petition through its 2006 Candidate Notice of Review. FWS specifically stated that “the threats, in particular the modification of habitat through harvesting of horseshoe crabs to such an extent that it puts the viability of the knot at substantial risk, are of a high magnitude.” It also concluded that the substantial risks did not warrant listing, however, because the risks were “nonimminent because of reductions and restrictions on harvesting horseshoe crabs.” The rufa subspecies was assigned a listing priority number of six and categorized as “warranted but precluded” by species with higher conservation priority.

Not only has the Interior Department not made protecting endangered species a priority, they have in fact asked for an 11% decrease in funds for candidate conservation in their FY09 budget. Federal officials need to prioritize the protection of vulnerable species in the region or species such as the Red Knot will continue to face the imminent danger of extinction.

“New Jersey is proud to host this international traveling bird, the Red Knot, and we should do all we can to give it a hospitable welcome,” said Senator Menendez. “Putting the Red Knot on the endangered species list is an important step we should take to preserve our endangered biodiversity; this should be part of a larger effort to support sustainability. Recognizing the importance of this shorebird is recognizing that all life on this planet is connected.”

A copy of the petition letter, the Senators’ letter and the report can be found at http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/red_knot/management_and_policy/index.php.

* The American Bird Conservancy report, "American Birds - an Endangered Species Act Success Story” (http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/AmBirdConservancy_ESAreport.pdf), found that of the 43 bird species listed under the ESA that breed in the continental United States, 63% have increasing or stable populations, several of which have grown more than tenfold since being listed.

Description of the Red Knot

The Red Knot is a small, short-legged shorebird characterized by a rich, robin-red breast in breeding plumage. Worldwide, there are five subspecies of the Red Knot; the rufa subspecies is an extreme long-distance traveler, migrating 18,000 miles each year from its winter home in Argentina to the tundra of North America, where it nests—and back.

As rufa Red Knots journey up the east coast of the United States during their spring migration, they pause at ancestral stopping points to rest and refuel. Delaware Bay is the last and most important stop on this long journey. Knots are among the hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds that arrive just as horseshoe crabs are spawning to feast on the abundance of nutrient-rich crab eggs, in preparation for the last leg of their migration north.

In recent years, horseshoe crab numbers in Delaware Bay have been severely depleted by commercial fishermen who sell the crabs for use as bait in conch pots. With fewer female horseshoe crabs laying eggs, migrating knots are deprived of their primary food source and are thus unable to gain back the strength and body mass they need to finish their migration successfully. Birds that do manage to complete the journey often arrive at their breeding grounds weak and undernourished, and are therefore less likely to nest and reproduce successfully.

Scientists in both North and South America have noted alarming declines in rufa Red Knots resulting from an increase in horseshoe crab take in and around Delaware Bay. The decrease in horseshoe crab numbers has caused the knot population to decline by 80 percent over the past 10 years, leading ornithologists to predict that the subspecies will be extinct in as little as five years unless action is taken.

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American Bird Conservancy is the only organization that works solely to conserve native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC acts to safeguard the rarest bird species, restore habitats, and reduce threats, while building capacity in the conservation movement. ABC is the voice for birds, ensuring that they are adequately protected; that sufficient funding is available for bird conservation; and that land is protected and properly managed to maintain viable habitat. ABC is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that is consistently awarded a top, four-star rating by the independent group, Charity Navigator.