View Rule

We will, if determined to be prudent and determinable, designate critical habitat for the rufa red knot pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. This migratory shorebird makes one of the longest distance migrations known in the animal kingdom, as it travels between breeding areas in the central Canadian Arctic and wintering areas in parts of the United States (primarily Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and some in Mississippi), the Caribbean, and southern South America along the coast of Chile and Argentina. Most migrate along the Atlantic coast of the United States, where they may be found from Maine to Florida. The major U.S. stopover areas during spring migration include Delaware Bay (Delaware, New Jersey) and coastal Virginia, and, during fall migration, include southern Cape Cod (Massachusetts), the south Atlantic coast of New Jersey, and the mouth of the Altamaha River (Georgia). The Texas red knots follow an inland flyway, with both spring and fall stopovers mainly in Canada; however, small numbers of migrants have been sighted throughout the U.S. Great Plains States.