Great Knot

The great knot, known scientifically as Calidris tenuirostris, is a small yet robust wader and the largest member of its genus. This migratory bird, with its short dark legs and medium-length thin dark bill, is a sight to behold. During the breeding season, adults display a mottled greyish upper body with hints of rufous feathering, while their face, throat, and breast are adorned with striking black spots. Come winter, they don a more subdued, uniformly pale grey plumage above.

Identification Tips

To distinguish the great knot from its close relative, the red knot, one must observe the plumage. The great knot's breeding attire lacks the red knot's distinctive red face, throat, and breast. Instead, look for the great knot's larger size, longer bill, deeper chest, and more streaked upper parts, which are telltale signs of its identity.

Habitat

The great knot breeds in the tundra of northeast Siberia, Russia, where it lays its eggs in a simple ground scrape. In the non-breeding season, it can be found along coasts in southern Asia through to Australia, where it forms enormous flocks.

Distribution

A strongly migratory species, the great knot winters on coasts from southern Asia to Australia. While primarily breeding in Siberia, it has been recorded in low numbers in western Alaska and as a vagrant in parts of Canada and the United States.

Behaviour

These birds are known for their foraging techniques on mudflats and beaches, where they probe or pick up food by sight. Their diet mainly consists of molluscs and insects.

Conservation status

Globally, the great knot is considered Endangered, and it is a species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies. In Australia, it is listed as critically endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, with varying levels of concern in different states and territories. However, recent studies suggest that the population may now be stable or declining at a rate less than the threshold for critical concern.