Wildlifeof China
Red Knot
Shorebirds
Photo: Hans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0
Calidris canutus
Basic stats
Diet
Arthropods and larvae on the breeding grounds; hard-shelled molluscs elsewhere
Habitat
Breeds on tundra and in the Arctic Cordillera
Range
Breeds in the high Arctic of Canada, Europe and Russia; winters on coasts around the world between 60°N and 55°S
Weight
100–200g depending on subspecies
The red knot is a medium-sized shorebird that breeds on tundra and in the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe and Russia. Its breeding distribution is circumpolar in the high Arctic, and it then migrates to coasts around the world to winter at latitudes from 60°N to 55°S. It has short dark legs and a medium-thin dark bill, and weighs 100–200g depending on subspecies (Wikipedia, general species account).
It has one of the longest migrations of any landbird: every year some birds of one subspecies travel more than 14,000km from the Arctic to the southern tip of South America and back. Diet varies by season, arthropods and larvae on the breeding grounds and hard-shelled molluscs elsewhere, and it forms enormous flocks when not breeding (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Red Knot eat?
- Arthropods and larvae on the breeding grounds; hard-shelled molluscs elsewhere
- What habitat does the Red Knot live in?
- Breeds on tundra and in the Arctic Cordillera
- Where is the Red Knot found?
- Breeds in the high Arctic of Canada, Europe and Russia; winters on coasts around the world between 60°N and 55°S
- How much does the Red Knot weigh?
- 100–200g depending on subspecies