The Red Knot is an adorable, five-ounce shorebird. A member of the sandpiper species, it wows with intricate gold, black and terra cotta feathers.
However, this bird is more than just good looks.
Grit and tenacity in action, these global travelers migrate 9,300 miles — twice a year. Theirs is among the longest migration in the animal kingdom.
In the fall, Red Knots head south from the frigid Arctic. Among their warm coastal destinations are Tierra del Fuego, Tasmania and Mauritania. In late spring, they head back north. During these epic voyages, one stage is a four-day ocean flight with no stops.
Red Knots travel this distance with no assurance that the food sourse essential to their survival will be there when they arrive. Their primary diet, the horseshoe crab, is endangered because of climate change and heavy global harvesting. Their habitats are also threatened.
However, these marathon fliers still make the journey. They would perish if they didn’t.
After learning about Red Knots, I thought about the risks and journeys people make. We take courageous steps in life, love and work, often uncertain we’ll find what we hope for or achieve the success we imagine. Yet, we choose our quests for the very same reason Red Knots choose theirs.
Red Knot Song
Audio Credit: National Audubon Society
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do the children of man as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
Helen Keller
