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Red Knot
(Calidris canutus)
: "Knot", "Lesser Knot", "Grey-crowned Knot"
Size: 23-25 cm; wing span 57-61 cm
Weight: 90-215 g (depending on race)
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Red Knots are small waders.
Their plumage
is highly cryptic.
When seen in Australia, they are usually (but not always) in
eclipse
plumage.
During the
non-breeding season they have a light-grey front, except
for some grey wash and dark streaking on the breast, flanks and
some dark barring on the undertail coverts. Except for light-grey
eyebrows, the rest of the head is grey, with some dark-grey
streaking. The back is grey, with dark-grey central lines and
light-grey edge lining on the wing feathers.
In-flight they show a thin wing bar.
During the
breeding season, those parts on the front (head, throat,
chest, upper belly) that are light-grey outside the breeding season
turn rust-red. Thin eyerings remain light-grey. The back and wings
turn dark red-brown, with light grey edge lining. The vent and
undertail coverts remain basically unchanged.
The eyes have dark irises. The dark-grey bill is straight and about
as long as the size of the head. The legs and feet are dark-grey.
The legs are short, giving the species a "dumpy" appearance.
In flight the feet do not protrude beyond the tail.
Juveniles
roughly resemble non-breeding
adults, but
they have a spotted (rather than streaked) front with a buff wash
and the back has a crisper scaly appearance, with prominent
light-grey edge lining.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared with Great
Knots, they have amuch shorter bill. Compared with other
species of waders, they are the only small species with a
barred rump.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Red
Knot at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Red Knot is available
HERE
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Red Knots are a global, strongly migratory species with 6 different
races. Their breeding grounds are located in Arctic tundra and
rocky terrain on all northern continents and also on many Arctic
islands (including e.g. Greenland and Iceland).
Birds from North America winter in South America and
Europe,
while the western Eurasian population winters in Africa and more
eastern Asian populations migrate to New Guinea,
Australia
and New Zealand.
During their migration and in their winter grounds they are found
predominantly in coastal areas.
Red Knots are migrants to Australia from the North, to Cape York
peninsula via the Torres Strait, but also to the Gulf of
Carpentaria and the Top End of the NT, as far West as Darwin,
from Java, Indonesia. They are usually found only along the
entire Australian coastline, including Tasmania and lots of
small offshore
islands. They are only rarely found inland - mostly in
the Murray-Darling Basin.
Red Knots have a preference for tidal sands and mudflats. They are often found
together with Great
Knots.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "rogersi"
C. Hayne reports seeing 5 Knots, including at least one Red Knot,
in non-breeding plumage,
together with several other species of waders, resting on a sandbank on the shore
of Lake Chickiba, Ballina, NSW in December 2012 to January 2013.
B. Hensen reports spotting Red Knots at both Lee Point and East Point,
Darwin, NT, semi-regularly. P. Brown also found the species at Lee
Point, Darwin, NT, in February 2020.
H. Mouritsen reports spotting 2 Red Knots near Darwin, NT, in
October 2015.
J. Greaves spotted a small mixed flock of Red Knots and
Great Knots at
Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, in January 2017.
M. Eaton reports spotting Red Knots at Nudgee Beach, QLD, in January 2018,
and at Wynnum, QLD, in November 2018.
Race "canutus"
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Photos |
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Race "rogersi"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Frontal view of a Red Knot in breeding plumage, checking for
aerial predators - this bird has not made the trek to
the northern hemisphere, possibly because of its mangled
right leg
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2019]
Lateral view of a Red Knot in breeding plumage, front, together
with a Great
Knot in breeding plumage, right, a second
Great Knot
in non-breeding plumage,
centre, and two Greater
Sand Plovers in non-breeding plumage in the background
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
Lateral view of a number of
Great Knots
in both breeding
plumage (dark chest)
and non-breeding plumage,
together with a few Red Knots, one of
which in near-breeding
plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
Flock of Great Knots
in both breeding
plumage (dark chest)
and non-breeding plumage,
together with some Red Knots, one of which in near-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, March 2020]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-frontal view of a Red Knot in transitional
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, November 2018]
Near-lateral view of two Great Knots in non-breeding
plumage, left,
together with two
Red Knots, also
in non-breeding
plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2017]
Red Knot(s) in non-breeding
plumage
landing (note the characteristic barring on the
uppertail coverts; the bird at the centre is also ringed)
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, December 2015]
Race "canutus"
Red Knots, race
"canutus", were photographed by us in Europe.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
