Calidris canutus
Silhouette: Richard Rich · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The red knot or just knot (Calidris canutus) is a medium-sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is the type species of the genus Calidris. Six subspecies are recognised.
Their diet varies according to season; arthropods and larvae are the preferred food items at the breeding grounds, while various hard-shelled molluscs are consumed at other feeding sites at other times. North American breeders migrate to coastal areas in Europe and South America, while the Eurasian populations winter in Africa, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. This species forms enormous flocks when not breeding.
The red knot was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Tringa canutus. The red knot and the great knot were originally the only two species placed in the genus Calidris, but many other species of sandpiper were subsequently added. A 2004 study found that the genus was polyphyletic and that the closest relative of the two knot species is the surfbird (Calidris virgata).
There are six subspecies, in order of size: Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 4 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Maputo | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 6 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 9 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 10 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Monterey Bay Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red Knot sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 886 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 180th most-seen of the 386 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Knot in San Diego on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of San Diego's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 55 mm in February.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Knot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 31
Of the 31 cities where we can rate Red Knot sightings, San Diego ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Liverpool (United Kingdom, about 40%), Auckland (New Zealand, about 10%) and Dublin (Ireland, about 10%).
Same genus: Calidris
The closest relatives of the Red Knot that you can see in San Diego (genus Calidris, Calidris Sandpipers) are Western Sandpiper (about 10%) and Least Sandpiper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Knot is recorded against all the birds logged in San Diego (886 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
