Lincoln Park Zoo

Common name: Red knot Latin Name: Calidris canutus Class: Birds Order:    Charadriiformes Description Male and female red knots have gray wings and white stomachs for most of the year. During breeding season, however, both sexes change color, adopting a red head, neck and chest to attract mates.

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Range
The red knot breeds near the North Pole, but winters worldwide.

Status
The red knot’s status is difficult to assess because the bird’s population is high, but declining. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan lists the red knot as a “Species of High Concern.”

Habitat
The red knot can mostly be found on sandy beaches and shallow wetlands.

Niche
The red knot has one of the longest migrations of any bird. Every year it travels more than 9,000 miles from the Arctic to the southern tip of South America. The red knot’s diet primarily consists of insects, snails and crustaceans, although some birds refuel for the return trip of their migration by stopping at Delaware Bay to feast on millions of horseshoe crab eggs.

Life History
The red knot builds it nests in a depression on the ground, cushioning its eggs with a layer of leaves and grasses. The female typically lays four eggs. Chicks leave the nest immediately after hatching, feeding themselves from the start.

Special Adaptations

• Long, thin legs help the red knot to easily wade through the water.