February 24, 2012|By Sandy Bauers, Inquirer Staff Writer
The red knot, a small shorebird whose 10,000-mile migration brings it to Delaware Bay each spring, has been designated an endangered species in New Jersey, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday.
Wildlife officials said that the new status, a change from threatened, did not add protections. However, it is formal recognition that despite years of efforts to help the bird, its numbers continue to decline.
The red knot population on the bay is about 15,000, down from nearly 100,000 two decades ago.
The change was one of several revisions and additions adopted by the DEP. Put on the endangered list were two other birds - the black rail and golden-winged warbler - as well as the gray petaltail, which is a species of dragonfly, and Indiana bat.
A red knot migrates 10,000 miles each spring via Delaware Bay. Its population is 15,000, down from 100,000
