Red Knot
Calidris canutus
Where is it found?
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Estuaries, mudflats and shorelines
Diet and foraging method
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Red Knots peck and probe the surface of the mud.
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Key adaptations
They have special sensory organs to detect prey without touching them by sensing changes in the sediment water pressure. They also have a strong, muscular gizzard for cracking the shells of prey after swallowing.
Social organisation and mating system
Roosts in large flocks during winter
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During the breeding season, Red Knots form monogamous pairs
Did you know that...?
Red Knots undertake long distance migrations between breeding and non-breeding grounds which can be up to 15,000 km!
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Calidris canutus (summer)" by © Hans Hillewaert. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calidris_canutus_(summer).jpg#/media/File:Calidris_canutus_(summer).jpg
"Red-Knot (Calidris canutus) RWD3" by Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Knot_(Calidris_canutus)_RWD3.jpg#/media/File:Red-Knot_(Calidris_canutus)_RWD3.jpg
"Calidris canutus MHNT" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calidris_canutus_MHNT.jpg#/media/File:Calidris_canutus_MHNT.jpg
"Calidris canutus (summer)" by © Hans Hillewaert. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calidris_canutus_(summer).jpg#/media/File:Calidris_canutus_(summer).jpg
"Red-Knot (Calidris canutus) RWD3" by Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Knot_(Calidris_canutus)_RWD3.jpg#/media/File:Red-Knot_(Calidris_canutus)_RWD3.jpg
"Calidris canutus MHNT" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calidris_canutus_MHNT.jpg#/media/File:Calidris_canutus_MHNT.jpg
