Species › Birds › Red Knot

Red Knot

Calidris canutus

UncommonBird
Illustration of Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

The Red Knot makes one of the longest migrations of any bird — traveling up to 9,300 miles twice a year between the Canadian arctic and Tierra del Fuego. Delaware Bay is a critical stopover where knots gorge on horseshoe crab eggs in May, doubling their body weight in two weeks. Declining horseshoe crab populations have caused serious declines in Red Knot numbers.

Habitat
Arctic tundra in summer; sandy beaches and mudflats in migration
Diet
Horseshoe crab eggs, mollusks, and marine invertebrates
How common
Uncommon

Best time to see a Red Knot

The best time to see a Red Knot is April–September, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,707 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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