Susan Rice represented the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in an international team studying the red knot in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, where 80 percent of the Western Hemisphere's red knot population winters. The red knot population appears to be in decline, with population estimates of 140,000 birds in 1988 and estimates of only 26,000 individuals in 2002.

The team captured, banded, aged, completed moult scores, took breast feathers for sexing and blood for parasite review of 390 red knots. Of this total, 50 birds were recaptures, 77 were immature birds and 12 were juvenile birds. Of the recaptured birds, 12 were originally banded in the Delaware Bay area, three in Brazil, two in northern Argentina and 32 were originally banded in Tierra del Fuego. Flags that had individual alpha-numeric characters were placed on each red knot. Extensive resights were also accomplished so that survival information can be garnered.

Also captured were 40 hudsonian godwits, 15 magellanic oystercatchers and two white-rumped sandpipers.