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Distance is a key constraint for animals in moving between suitable habitats, but is this also the case in staging long-distance migrating shorebirds that habitually cover thousands of kilometers during migrations? We conducted multi-year field observations, benthic prey sampling and satellite tracking, to compare how endangered great knots Calidris tenuirostris respond to the food shortage at two similarly functioning staging sites (Gaizhou and Beijingzi) in the northern Yellow Sea, China. Food availability declined by >95 % at both sites across the study period, with the intake rates of great knots declining by 87 %. However, whereas the number of great knots declined by 91 % at Gaizhou, only a 29 % decrease was seen at Beiijngzi. Satellite tracking showed that during the time when food was poor in Gaizhou, tagged great knots crossed 20 km to suitable alternative high-quality sites where food was not scarce. From Beijingzi, tagged great knots flew at least 124 km to find a good alternative. We show that longer distances to alternative sites decreased the probability of a bird leaving. Thus, habitat degradation in staging sites induced great knots to move to alternative sites, but only if such alternatives were relatively close. As staging habitats become more isolated, the negative effects of habitat degradation will be more serious due to a distance constraint on exploratory movements. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining networks of nearby high-quality refueling sites for migratory birds to provide buffers in seasons when local food conditions are lean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]