The Red Knot is a long-distant migrant shorebird. They breed in the tundra of northern Canada, Europe, and Russia. After breeding, most Red Knots migrate to wintering grounds on the coasts of Africa, South America, and Australia.
Due to their epic migration, Red Knots feed on a wide variety of foods depending on the time of year and their location. On their tundra breeding grounds, they feed on insects and larvae, while small mollusks are a common food at other times of year. Red Knots in the Americas famously depend on the spawning of horseshoe crabs across parts of eastern North America (especially Delaware Bay) during their northward migration. The birds fuel up on the eggs; the Red Knot's threatened status is tied to excessive crab harvesting by humans.
World Migratory Bird Day is a global celebration of one of the most incredible natural phenomena: bird migration. Each year bird migration is celebrated in the spring and fall. This fall, World Migratory Bird Day is today, October 12, 2024. This is a great opportunity to learn... Read more »
A lot of bird species are migratory. That means that they spend part of the year in one place and then travel (fly) to another place for some time. Migration is typically based around ideal conditions for breeding versus availability of food... Read more »
The New York Times reported last week that the number of Red Knots stopping at critical refueling grounds on the East Coast of the United States this year was double the number seen last year. Each year,... Read more »
For 19 days we're adding a new Birdorable bird every day as part of our Birdorable Bonanza 2011. We're counting up to revealing our 350th species! Today's bird is the Red Knot. Read more »
