B95 (red knot)

B95 (Rufa Red Knot)
A Rufa Red Knot in the surf of the Delaware Bay in Cumberland County, NJ.
Other name(s)Moonbird
SpeciesCalidris canutus rufa
SexMale
Hatchedc. 1992 (age 31–32)
Known forhis extreme longevity

B95 (born c. 1992), nicknamed Moonbird, is a red knot celebrated for its longevity as the oldest known member of its species.[1]

The bird, a male of the Calidris canutus rufa subspecies of the red knot (a species of shorebird in the sandpiper family), was banded in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina in February 1995 by Patricia González, an Argentine biologist.[2] It has been resighted many times since then.[3] It also has been recaptured at least three times—the last time in 2007 (aged approximately 14) when it was found to be "as fit as a three-year-old".[4] It is not known how long red knots typically live.[3]

  1. ^ McGlinchey, Dave. "Moonbird B95 Spotted Again In Argentina". Manomet Bird Observatory. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  2. ^ Swain, Glenn (29 May 2014). "A Red-Knot Celebrity Is Back in Town". New York Times. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b Bauers, Sandy. "Globe-spanning bird B95 is back for another year". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. ^ Conniff, Richard. "On the Trail of an Intrepid Bird". Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2014.