About this species
The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) is a large migratory shorebird with a circumpolar Arctic breeding distribution. Within the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), the nominate subspecies (C. c. canutus) breeds in the Taymyr Peninsula of northern Russia and migrates south through Central Asia to winter along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and the Indian subcontinent, while other subspecies use the East Asian–Australasian and Americas flyways. The species breeds on sparsely vegetated Arctic tundra and gravel ridges, and during migration and winter inhabits intertidal mudflats, estuaries, sandy beaches, and coastal lagoons. It feeds primarily on bivalves, crustaceans, polychaete worms, and other benthic invertebrates, swallowing many prey whole and crushing them with its muscular gizzard. Globally classified as Near Threatened, the Red Knot faces threats from the loss and degradation of intertidal habitats, reduced food availability at key staging sites, coastal development, and climate change affecting Arctic breeding grounds.
