As one of the longest standing conservation projects in the world, the Delaware Bay shorebird project is part of a large collaborative effort to protect and recover migratory shorebird populations, including the federally threatened rufa red knot (Calidris canutus), throughout the Atlantic Flyway. As one of the most important stopover sites during their migration, the protection of the Delaware Bay ecosystem is important to the protection and recovery of at-risk shorebirds. During their northward migration from South America to their Arctic breeding grounds, red knots and other shorebirds stop in Delaware Bay every May to quickly fatten to make the final leg of their migration to breed. The timing of this stopover coincides with the peak of American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) breeding, with Delaware Bay hosting the largest breeding population of horseshoe crabs in the world.
Click the image above to learn more about the New Jersey Delaware Bay Shorebird Project (link opens in new tab).