In particular, the project monitors red knot, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and other shorebird species migrating through the Delaware Bay from Tierra del Fuego to their breeding grounds in the Arctic — over 8,700 miles. The birds are caught in cannon nets or mist nets and then fitted with metal bands and colored flags to indicate their capture in the Delaware Bay. Numerous other studies are conducted while the birds are in hand or after release, including re-sightings of the flags and radio monitoring of the birds' feeding patterns.

During their 14-day stay in Delaware Bay, these birds will nearly double their arrival weight, acquiring the energy for the final trip to the breeding grounds and for egg laying. The eggs of horseshoe crabs provide the majority of the high protein food source consumed by these birds during their brief stay on the bay shore.