Red Knot

In breeding plumage, it has a distinctive brick-red face and underparts with dark scalloping on the back. Non-breeding adults are plain grey above and whitish below with faint breast streaking. Juveniles have scaly, pale-edged upperparts.

Stout body, medium straight dark bill, greyish upperparts in non-breeding plumage (or brick-red in breeding), and greenish-yellow to dark legs.

Length: 23-25 cm (9-10 in), Wingspan: 47-53 cm (18-21 in), Weight: 100-200 g (3.5-7 oz)

A low, soft, musical 'knut' or a rolling, repetitive whistled call given in flight.

Invertebrates such as marine worms, small mollusks, and crustaceans. Crushes hard-shelled prey using its muscular gizzard.

Coastal marine environments, including intertidal mudflats, sandflats, estuaries, and rocky shores during migration and winter; high Arctic tundra during the breeding season.

Long-distance migrant, undertaking some of the longest annual migrations of any bird, traveling from high-latitude Arctic breeding grounds to distant southern wintering areas.

Nests on the ground in a shallow scrape lined with leaves and lichens in the high Arctic tundra. Clutch is typically 3-4 eggs, incubated by both parents.

Other medium-sized sandpipers, but distinguished from Dunlin by its shorter, straight bill and lack of a down-curved tip, and from Dowitchers by its shorter bill and stockier build.

Acts as an important predator of intertidal invertebrates and serves as a vital link in the marine food web, particularly famous for its synchronized feeding with horseshoe crab eggs during migration.

IUCN Near Threatened, with populations experiencing significant declines due to habitat loss and reduced food availability at staging areas.

Visit coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy beaches during high-tide roosts when flocks gather closely together. Use binoculars or a spotting scope to scan through dense groups.

The Red Knot is famous for the subspecies Calidris canutus rufa, which undertakes an incredible 9,300-mile migration from the tip of South America to the Canadian Arctic each spring.