A bill introduced in the Delaware Legislature in 2025 designates the red knot as the State Migratory Bird. House Bill 189 passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Meyer July 16.
In 1939, the General Assembly enacted a law designating the blue hen chicken as the State Bird, formalizing a tradition that began in 1775 during the Revolutionary War. Since Delaware is one of only two states with a domestic bird as the State Bird, the addition of State Migratory Bird designation gives recognition to a true wild bird widely known for its association to Delaware.
The red knot, about the size of the American robin, completes one the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. Its connection to Delaware is fabled, because Delaware Bay is one of two stops it makes during its spring migration of 9,000 miles. For several weeks each May, it forages along the beaches of Delaware Bay for horseshoe crab eggs in an attempt to double its body weight, which it needs to complete the final leg of its journey to its Arctic breeding grounds. Up to 90% of the red knot subspecies Rufa can be found along the Delaware bays in a single day during that period, which also sees an influx of visitors to witness the spectacle.
The red knot faces numerous challenges during its migration. In the 1990s, it came very near extinction because unregulated horseshoe crab harvests depleted its essential food source. Thanks to the work of Delaware Audubon and other organizations, regulations were put in place which stabilized the horseshoe crab population; although, the population still remains well below historic levels. Horseshoe crabs are still harvested for bait in Delaware, and they are harvested for their blood in increasing numbers by the unrestricted biomedical industry, even though there is a synthetic alternative available.
A more dire threat to the survival of the red knot is climate change. Alterations to the flow of the Gulf Stream has resulted in cold water interrupting horseshoe crab spawning during the shorebird stopover period in three of the last six years. An insufficient supply of horseshoe crab eggs deprive shorebirds of the ability to gain weight.
Although birds are incredibly resilient, there have been recent examples of man pushing bird species over the edge. The hope is that this recognition will assist in the efforts to ensure this remarkable bird’s survival.
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