Photo: Arnstein Rønning / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Red Knot

Calidris canutus

Red Knot (Calidris canutus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of New South Wales Sandpipers & Allies of Northern Territory Sandpipers & Allies of Queensland Sandpipers & Allies of South Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Tasmania Sandpipers & Allies of Victoria Sandpipers & Allies of Western Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Alberta Sandpipers & Allies of British Columbia Sandpipers & Allies of Manitoba

See what's near you right now

The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 142 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Calidris
Species canutus

Where it lives

Patchily in high Arctic (mainly) tundra of Holarctic: northwestern, eastern Greenland, north-central Siberia, islands north of north-central and northeastern Siberia, and northern Chukotskiy Pen. (northeastern Siberia)

Quick facts

Weight: 142 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Grey-tailed Tattler

Tringa brevipes

Least Concern

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Endangered

Great Knot

Calidris tenuirostris

Least Concern

Surfbird

Calidris virgata

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red Knot hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of coastal habitats, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Red Knot is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) belongs to the Scolopacidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL patchily in high Arctic (mainly) tundra of Holarctic: nw, e Greenland, nc Siberia, islands n of nc and ne Siberia, and n Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 142 g, with a wing length of about 16.4 cm and a tail of around 6 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.6 million km².

Songs & calls

Red Knot — Call, flight call, nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Thierry THOMAS Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red Knot?

The Red Knot is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 142 g.

Where does the Red Knot live?

The Red Knot is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL patchily in high Arctic (mainly) tundra of Holarctic: nw, e Greenland, nc Siberia, islands n of nc and ne Siberia, and n Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Red Knot belong to?

The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Red Knot eat?

The Red Knot hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Red Knot migrate?

The Red Knot is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Red Knot endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Red Knot make?

1 real field recording of the Red Knot — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red Knot's range?

The Red Knot has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².