# Red Knot (*Calidris canutus*) The Red Knot is a small shorebird known for its beautiful reddish-brown feathers during the breeding season. These birds are great at finding food on sandy beaches and love to travel long distances. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Knot ![Red Knot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Red_Knot_1_-_Boat_Harbour.jpg&width=800) Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Knot_1_-_Boat_Harbour.jpg) ## Appearance The Red Knot is a medium-sized shorebird, distinctive in breeding season with a brick-red face and belly contrasting with its grey-brown, mottled back. In winter, they appear plainer grey above and whitish below, maintaining a relatively short, dark bill and short legs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Calidris ## Interesting facts - Red Knots change their feather color dramatically between summer and winter! - Some Red Knots migrate from the Arctic all the way to the tip of South America! - Their epic journey makes them one of the animal kingdom's greatest travelers. - These amazing birds can fly for days and nights without stopping to rest. ## Special abilities - **Marathon Migrator:** Red Knots can fly astounding distances, over 15,000 km, because they cleverly store vast fat reserves for energy. - **Sensitive Snout:** Red Knots have highly sensitive bills that help them feel for hidden clams and worms buried deep in the sand. - **Energy Economizer:** Red Knots can temporarily shrink their digestive organs and flight muscles during migration, saving vital energy. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 23-26 cm - **Wingspan:** 47-53 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-4 - **Incubation:** 21-23 days - **Migration Distance:** 15000 km ## Diet & Feeding Red Knots slurp up tiny shellfish and worms from sandy shores, and eat insects in the Arctic. - **Primary Foods:** bivalves, marine worms, insect larvae, crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Baltic Clam (*Macoma balthica*) — Red Knots feast on these tiny clams along coastlines. - **Eaten by:** Lugworm (*Arenicola marina*) — Knots probe sandy shores to find these marine worms. - **Hunts:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — A swift predator, the Peregrine Falcon hunts adult Knots. - **Eats:** [Great Black-backed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-black-backed-gull) (*Larus marinus*) — Gulls can prey on eggs and young Red Knots. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red Knot? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Red Knot? 23-26 cm ### What is Red Knot's wingspan? 47-53 cm ### How much does Red Knot weigh? 0.1-0.2 kg ### How long does Red Knot live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Red Knot move? 65 km/h ### What does Red Knot eat? Red Knots slurp up tiny shellfish and worms from sandy shores, and eat insects in the Arctic. ### Where is Red Knot usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [New York Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-york-aquarium-new-york) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Stavros Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stavros-reservation) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stone-harbor-bird-sanctuary) — US · Nature Reserve - [Lagoa do Peixe National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lagoa-do-peixe-national-park) — BR · Park [View all places to see Red Knot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-knot) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Red Knot: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-knot)