Red Knots’ Hemispheric Highway
Red knots pack more travel into their tiny bodies than most humans do in a lifetime. These robin-sized shorebirds zip between Tierra del Fuego and the Arctic, covering 19,000 miles round trip. Their survival depends on perfect timing. The birds must hit Delaware Bay exactly when horseshoe crabs lay their eggs – a feast that doubles their body weight for the final push north. Their internal compass guides them between hemispheres with amazing accuracy.