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Home , Killdeer, Red knot, Sandpiper

Latin name: canutus French name: Bécasseau maubèche Spanish name: Chorlo Rojizo Inuktitut name: Qajorlak

CONSERVATION STATUS: BREEDING Worldwide Assessment (Global IUCN): Near threatened The entire rufa breeding population is In (COSEWIC): Endangered (rufa subspecies) known to nest in the Canadian high . Males Population trend: Large Decrease prepare nest sites by scraping a depression in the ground where females lay 3-4 olive-colored eggs. The young forage on plants, , SPRING MIGRATION midges, and other to grow and pre- Red Knots are neotropical migrants, pare for migration. travelling long distances to their breeding areas in the arctic. In large FALL MIGRATION flocks, they begin their 15,000 km journey in late February, and depend Red Knots depart the arctic in 3 waves. on key stopover sites to rest and Females leave mid-July, once young birds refuel along the way. The birds feast have hatched and nesting is complete. on horseshoe eggs and marine Adult males follow a couple of weeks on beaches and later. The juvenile, hatch-year birds spend to double their body weight before more time growing and storing energy they continue on to the arctic. before leaving the arctic late-August.

DESCRIPTION WINTER The Red Knot is a large, robin-sized shore- Red Knots spend the in the . In winter, males non-breeding season on and females share the same pale gray the southern coasts of (A). In spring, breeding adults moult South America, probing in mottled dark gray feathers on the back, the beaches, mudflats and a distinct cinnamon plumage on the face, and tidal zones for throat and breast (B). B worms, molluscs and crustaceans. They moult their flight feathers

A y

r b in preparation for an u

A extraordinary journey. s e v Y sturdy dark bill : o ot Ph CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: (Shorebirds) Family: Scolopacidae () P short h o : Calidris t o dark : M 3-26 cm Species: canutus a legs 2 r k

P e c k Weight: 100-200 grams CONSERVATION: Red Knot populations have declined by 70% over the past 30 years, and are designated an Endangered Species in Canada where they breed. Taking spectacular long-distance migrations, they depend on very specific ‘staging areas’, where the birds gather, rest and replenish energy resources along the journey. Key conservation concerns include:  availability and quality  Changing climate and seasonal shifts result in mis-matched timing of food availability  Over-harvesting of horseshoe at key migratory stopover sites

RED KNOT MIGRATION : To help conserve this species, it is important to understand its full (annual) life cycle, and the healthy and resources it needs to survive and support its population. This project is investigating the migration ecology of Red Knots across the .

SCIENCE GOALS:  Track individual Red Knot movements during migration.  Determine arrival & departure times between its wintering & breeding locations.  Identify important stopover locations and length of stay during migration.

Adapted from Motus Wildlife Tracking System Projects: James Bay Shorebirds (#38): motus.org/data/project?id=38 Red Knot Staging and Migration Ecology (#47): motus.org/data/project?id=47 Project Bahia Lomas Shorebirds (#174): motus.org/data/project?id=174 Argentina, South America

METHODS: There are several trapping methods that are used to catch A B Red Knots. Vertical mist nets trap birds in flight, while cannon nets and whoosh nets catch large numbers of birds on the ground (A). To do this, science crews set a large net in the sand and wait for the birds to congregate on the beach as the tide rises (B). The net is rapidly pulled over a flock of birds, containing them C D PROJECT DESCRIPTION PROJECT under the lightweight mesh. The birds are quickly untangled and safely stored in boxes until each bird can be fitted with a metal band, plastic leg flags and a nanotag (C). The nanotag is glued onto the back of the bird, released (D) and will emit a unique signal detected by the Project photos: Lucas Berrigan, Yves Aubry Motus receivers.

Nanotags have been released on more VIDEOS: Delaware Bay Shorebird Project: www.conservewildlifenj. than 1200 individual Red Knots since org/protecting/projects/shorebird/ & youtu.be/WNwFXM5dLXs 2014. Detections of these tags indicate the date and location of the individual James Bay Shorebird Project: youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu. bird as it moves across the landscape. be&v=3pqATKq6TlA Population trends of Red Knot in N. America (click to view population trends).

Case Study: RED KNOT PROJECT DATA

The following 4 tracks from individual Red Knots represent a subset of the population’s movements across the landscape. Explore the Red Knot movements on the provided base You will map using the following guidelines: need: 1. Label the bird species in the top right corner of the map page. A. attached base map (latitude/longitude OR 2. Use the detection data in the table below to plot the locations on the map. alphanumeric) 3. Connect the dots and label each track with the tag identification number. B. 3 colours (highlighters or 4. Draw arrowheads on the tracks to point in the direction of bird movement. pencil crayons) 5. Label the track dates on the first detection location and the last detection location. C. pencil or pen 6. Circle the location where the bird stopped for the longest time. Label its length of stay. D. ruler 7. Using the scale on the map and a ruler, measure and label the total flight track distance E. calculator from its wintering to breeding location. 8. Choose two detections, and calculate the flight speed between locations (distance/time as km/hr). Label this on the map sites. 9. Build a legend in the bottom left corner of the map. Use a different color to label each stage: Breeding, Migration, and Wintering Table Legend 10. Fill in the Breeding range and the Wintering range of the map, using the legend colors. REKN 15648 REKN 15656 Trace the flight tracks with the color for Migration. REKN 20959 11. Circle the country names of which this bird was detected in. REKN 1013 12. Draw a big star on your location. Which range for this species are you located?

ALPHA- NEAREST LENGTH OF DATE LATITUDE LONGITUDE NUMERIC REFERENCE STAY January 19, 2018 -52.47 -69.39 J-29 Tierra del Fuego, Chile 99 d 0 h 0m

April 28, 2018 52.55 -69.32 J-29 Tierra del Fuego, Chile 0d 0h 1m

May 4, 2018 5.16 -52.63 M-16 Kourou, French Guiana 6d 7h 10m 3s

May 3, 2018 5.96 -56.86 L-16 Wageningen, Suriname 4d 9h 2m

May 18, 2018 38.77 -75.09 I-10 Delaware Bay, 9d 0h 3m

May 23, 2019 39.06 -74.78 1-10 Cape May, New Jersey 5d 5h 20m

May 31, 2019 40.41 -76.08 I-9 Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia 0d 0h 10m

June 1, 2019 44.94 -79.5 1-8 Gravenhurst, Ontario 0d 0h 5m June 6, 2019 58.77 -93.97 G-6 Churchill, Manitoba 0d 0h 1m

July 19, 2014 63.99 -81.70 H-5 Southampton Island, 0d 0h 2m Nunavut July 31, 2014 51.82 -80.69 H-7 Moosonee, Ontario 0d 0h 49m

August 1, 2014 39.06 -74.78 I-10 Cape May, New Jersey 4d 0h 0m

CHECK YOUR MIGRATION TRACK HERE: https://motus.org/data/demo/educationREKN.html

Case Study: RED KNOT DISCUSSION

Use the guided discussion boxes below to analyze the project results from this Case Study. The attached Resource page offers further information to support your inquiry. Present and discuss as a class, or compare results with other Case Study species.

DATA DISCUSSION: Present the Red Knot Case Study to your classmates. Compare and contrast with other species:

Populations: What is the population trend and Migration Ecology: What habitat and food 1 status for Red Knots? 2 resources make a good stopover site for this species?

Threat Assessment: Identify a threat that Conservation: How can human-related threats be 3 might impact survival or success at each stage: 4 reduced or mitigated? Breeding; Migration; Wintering

Case Study: RED KNOT EXTENSION ACTIVITIES community. activity thathelpsreduce ormitigate impacts ofthreats tobirdsin your path, organization orresearch. pages inCaseStudy.Considerreaching outfor aninterview abouttheircareer on theproject research team.Findthisinformation ontheMotuswebsiteproject connections ofRedKnotstotheirecologicalcommunity. computer graphics (usingsoftware suchasAdobeIllustrator). Stewardship &Conservation: Citizen Science: Career Connections: Connecting Communities through birds: Bird Inquiry: Bird Art: Ecological Connections: game, quiz,appealletter,blogpostetc.). memes, comic,graphic, brochure, powerpointpresentation, poem,shortstory, information inacreative communication (infographic, popularnewsarticle,skit, Count, andeBird. FeederWatch, Project NestWatch(Canada),(US),Great BackyardBird your area andcontributeobservations for scienceandconservation. Try Project media, orarrange aclassroom-to-classroom videochat. You couldwritealettertoinform theschoolofbird,exchangepostsonsocial school thatshares thewintering,migratory orbreeding range ofthisspecies. SketchormodelaRedKnotusingpencil;paints;clay; Investigate ahuman-related threat toRedKnots,andpresent ParticipateinCitizenSciencetolearnmore about birdsin Writeaprofessional profile for oneofthepersonnel Designafood webmodeltodisplay Initiate orparticipateinastewardship Connectwithanother Case Study: REDKNOT RESOURCES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYSCIENCE NATURAL ANDHUMAN-RELATED THREATS LIFE HISTORY CONSERVATION ANDPOPULATION STATUS • • • aspx?sY=2014&sL=e&sM=p1&sB=REKN • registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_mp_red_knot_e_proposed.pdf • virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_calidris_canutus_e.pdf • • www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV8Hd5e_1TM • • • educational-activities/Redknotfactsheet.pdf • • • untangle-red-knot-conservation-challenges • migratory/ knot: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-birds-packing-high-tech-gear-help-scientists-understand-the- • royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 • • Delaware BayShorebird Project: http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/protecting/projects/shorebird/ • nyregion/red-knots-horseshoe-crabs-and-fight-to-survive-in-delaware-bay.html • sandpiper-140263435/ • june-2016/red-knots-are-battling-climate-change-both-ends • worldwide/news/red-knots-plummet-25-one-year-tierra-del-fuego • to-/ Extinction https://abcbirds.org/article/red-knot-wintering-population-drops-by-more-than-5000-accelerating-slide- • • Arctic Migratory BirdsInitiative:https://www.caff.is/arctic-migratory-birds-initiative-ambi/americas-flyway State ofCanada’sBirdsReport2019(page6):http://nabci.net/resources/state-of-canadas-birds-2019/ BirdLife DataZone:http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-knot-calidris-canutus Population StatusofBirdsinCanada:https://wildlife-species.canada.ca/bird-status/oiseau-bird-eng. Recovery Strategy andManagementPlanfor theRedKnot(Calidriscanutus)inCanada(2016)https://www. COSEWIC AssessmentandStatusReportontheRedKnotinCanada(2007)https://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/ IUCN RedList:https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22693363/132285482 Nature Canada:Great Travellers intheMooseCree HomelandsofCoastalJamesBay(7minutevideo):https:// Super Bird-PlightoftheRedKnot(4minutevideo):https://youtu.be/xLy6G53VOPw Canadian Geographic: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/red-knot-endangered-species US FishandWildlife Service:RedKnotFact Sheethttps://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/pdf/education/ Audubon: RedKnothttps://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-knot All AboutBirds:RedKnothttps://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red_Knot/overview Motus helpinguntangleRed Knot conservation challengeshttps://www.birdscanada.org/news/motus-helping- Birds packinghigh-techgear help scientistsunderstandthemigratory mysteriesanddangerous life ofthered Body conditionexplainsmigratory performance ofalong-distancemigrant Published:https:// James BayShorebird Project: https://www.jamesbayshorebirdproject.com/ A race againsttime(30minutevideo):https://vimeo.com/87860732 The NewYork Times: Abird,acrab andashared fighttosurvivehttps://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/ Smithsonian: ReturnoftheSandpiperhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/return-of-the- Audubon: RedKnotsare battlingclimatechangeonbothendshttps://www.audubon.org/magazine/may- BirdLife International:RedKnotsplummetby25%inayearTierra delFuegohttps://www.birdlife.org/ American BirdConservancy: RedKnotWinteringPopulationDrops ByMore Than 5,000,Accelerating SlideTo What’s KillingtheWorld’sShorebirds https://www.nature.com/news/what-s-killing-the-world-s-shorebirds-1.21232 Case Study: REDKNOT GLOSSARY Habitat Food Web Food Chain Flyway Fledge Feathers Field Marks Extinction Environment Endangered Egg Ecosystem eBird Diurnal COSEWIC Courtship Copulation Conservation Clutch Climate Change Camouflage Call Brood Patch Brood Breeding Plumage Breeding Behavior Breeding Bird Banding Biodiversity Aves Altricial young Alternate plumage Aerial Insectivore (food, water,shelter,andspace) A placewhere ananimalmakesitshome andmeetsallofitsneedsfor survival The combinedinteractions betweendifferent speciesinanecologicalcommunity Direct linksofenergy transfer betweenorganisms Flight route usedbymigratory birdsbetween theirwinteringandbreeding locations When youngbirdsleavethenest waterproofing, camouflageandcourtship. External, ‘feathered’ projections ofthe skinuniquetobirds.Aidinflight,insulation, Visible characteristics ofabird(color,wingbars,billshape) A speciesthatisnolongerlivingonEarth An area characterised byconditionsintheclimate, soil,terrain, andlivingorganisms A speciesthatisindangerofbecomingextinct The hard-shelledstructure laidbybirdscontainingembryo,yolk,andwhite Combination ofalllivingandnon-livingthingsthatinteract inanenvironment A globalCitizenSciencedatabaseofbirdobservations (www..org ) Birds thatare activeduringthedayandsleepatnight Committee oftheStatusEndangered Wildlife inCanada(www.cosewic.ca) Displays orritualsperformed toattract amate The matingprocess whichfertilizes theeggtoinitiatedevelopmentofembryo and ofwildlife The preservation, protection, orrestoration ofwildlife andthenatural environment The numberofeggsafemale laysinasinglenestingattempt A changeinregional orglobalclimatepatterns The coloration ofanorganism thatmatchesitsenvironment toconcealitself Short andsimplebirdsounds.Communicatelocation,hunger,danger The patchoffeatherless skinonundersideofbirdsfor incubationduringnesting The numberofbirdshatchedfrom asingleclutchofeggs The feather moltusedduringthebreeding season(malesare usuallymore colorful) Behavior exhibitedtoattract amate(brightplumage,singing,drumming,dancing) To mateandproduce offspring band tothelegandreleasing itbackintothewild A techniqueusedtostudyandtrack individualbirdsbyattachinga numbered metal ‘Bio’ meansLife; ‘Diversity’meansvariety; thevariety oflife forms The classofanimalsknownas“birds” Birds bornnaked,blindanddependentonparental care (Ex.mostsongbirds) The feather moltofbirdsduringnon-breeding periods An (bird,bat,insect)thatfeeds oninsectswhileinflight Case Study: REDKNOT GLOSSARY Wintering Threatened Stopover Stewardship Species Songs Scrape Roost Preen Precocial young Population Plumage Ornithology Nocturnal Nest Migrant Neotropical Nanotag Motus WTS Molt Migration Juvenile IUCN Invasive Species Incubation Herbivores Hatch To spendthe winter;oftenthenon-breeding stage A speciesatriskofbecoming endangered Kingdom; Phylum;Class;Order; Family; Genus;Species The classificationoforganisms toassignnamesandrelationships A briefstayduringthecourseofamigration torest andbuildenergy reserves Responsible activitiestoprotect andenhancetheenvironment natural conditions Individuals ofthesameorganism thatcanbreed andproduce fertile offspringunder Loud vocalizationsusedtoattract matesorasterritorialdefense A shallowdepression usedbyground birdsasanest(Ex.Killdeer) A placefor temporary rest orsleep To cleanandpositionfeathers withabeak Birds bornfullyfeathered, mobile,andactive(Ex.ducks,geese,shorebirds) The numberofindividualsaparticularspeciesindefinedarea The colourandpatternsoffeathers The scientificstudyofbirds Birds thatare activeatnightandsleepduringtheday Shelter prepared bybirdsfor layingeggsandraising young A long-distantmigrating birdthatwintersinthetropics °N. andbreeds northof23 a receiver (birds,bats,insects)todeterminelocationanddate/timewhendetectedby Small radio transmitters thatemitauniquesignal(frequency). Affixedtosmall receivers totrack smallanimalsacross thelandscape Motus Wildlife Tracking System,alarge-scale networkofautomatedradio telemetry The process oflosingandreplacing feathers for breeding andmigration. and survival needs Movement ofaspeciesfrom oneplacetoanother;usuallyfor breeding, foraging, A youngbirdthathasfledgedthenestandisindependentofparental care natural worldandthemeasures neededtosafeguard it(www.iucn.org) International Unionfor theConservation ofNature; globalauthorityonthestatusof impact onthedynamicsofnatural community A plantorananimalthatisnon-nativetotheenvironment andishavinganegative development The process ofkeepingeggswarm(orcool)tomaintaintemperature for Primary consumers;organisms thateatplants(primaryproducers) Process ofbabybirdbreaking outofanegg Case Study: REDKNOT A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O

1 1

2 2 (Denmark) 3 3

4 Anchorage 4 Iqaluit 5 Whitehorse Yellowknife Coats Island 5

6 Canada Mingan Archipelago 6 National Edmonton Park Reserve St. John's 7 Moosonee 7 Regina Winnipeg Victoria Québec 8 Olympia Helena Montréal 8 Kingston Nantucket Portland Island 9 Erie 9 Cape May Sacramento Denver Cincinnati 10 United States 10 Phoenix Atlanta 11 11 New Orleans Galveston 12 Bahamas 12

13 Mexico Dominican 13 Republic Mexico City 14 Antigua 14 Belize Jamaica Haiti France Honduras 15 Guatemala Tobago 15 Trinidad Suriname El Salvador Caracas Guyana Colón Panama City French 16 Nicaragua 16 Guiana Costa Bogota 17 17 Rica Colombia 18 18 Ecuador 19 Peru 19 Brazil 20 20 Lima Brasíila 21 Bolivia 21 Sucre 22 22 Paraguay 23 Chile 23

24 Argentina 24 Santiago 25 Buenos Aires 25 Uruguay 26 26

27 27

28 28 Rio Grande 29 Km 29

30 0 1,000 30

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O Greenland (Denmark)

Anchorage Iqaluit Coats 50°N Whitehorse Yellowknife Island

Canada Mingan Archipelago 35°N

45°N National Edmonton St. Park Reserve John's Moosonee Regina Winnipeg Victoria Québec

40°N Olympia Helena Montréal 30°N Kingston Portland Nantucket United Island States Erie 35°N Cape May Sacramento Denver Cincinnati 25°N 30°N Phoenix Atlanta New

Orleans 20°N Galveston 25°N Mexico Bahamas 15°N 20°N Cuba Dominican Mexico Republic City 15°N Belize Jamaica Haiti 10°N Honduras Guatemala Caracas Suriname 10°N El Salvador Panama Guyana 5°N Colón Panama French Nicaragua City Venezuela 5°N Bogota Guiana Costa 0° Rica Colombia 0° 5°S

5°S Ecuador Peru 10°S 10°S Lima Brazil Bolivia Brasíila 15°S 15°S

Sucre 20°S 20°S

Chile Paraguay 25°S 25°S Argentina 30°S 30°S Santiago Buenos Aires 35°S

Uruguay 35°S 40°S 40°S 45°S

Rio

Grande 45°S

50°S Km

0 1,000 55°S

170°W 160°W 150°W 140°W 130°W 120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W 70°W 60°W 50°W 40°W 30°W 20°W 10°W 0° 10°E