Great Knot

About the Great Knot

The great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) is a medium-sized wader. It is one of the largest species in the genus Calidris. It is a migratory bird which breeds in eastern Siberia, Russia, and flies to southern Asia and Australia in the northern winter.

Within the genus Calidris the great knot is most closely related to the surfbird (Calidris virgata). The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific tenuirostris is from Latin tenuis "slender" and rostrum "bill".

Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia, Russia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to Australia. This species forms enormous flocks in winter.

The species is also recorded in summer in low numbers in western Alaska, United States in most years, and in winter in small numbers west to Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. It has occurred as a vagrant in Great Britain, Morocco, New Zealand, British Columbia in Canada, and in the lower 48 states of the USA in Oregon, West Virginia, and... Wikipedia →