Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Great knot

Calidris tenuirostris

Thomas Horsfield, 1821

In Thai: นกน็อตใหญ่

The great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific tenuirostris is from Latin tenuis "slender" and rostrum "bill".

Distribution

Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to Australia. This species forms enormous flocks in winter. The species is recorded in low numbers in western Alaska most years, and has occurred as a vagrant in British Columbia, Oregon, West Virginia, and Maine.

Description

This species has short dark legs and a medium-length thin dark bill. Breeding adults have mottled greyish upperparts with some rufous feathering. The face, throat and breast are heavily spotted black, and there are also some streaks on the rear belly. In winter the plumage becomes uniformly pale grey above.

This bird is closely related to the more widespread red knot. In breeding plumage, the latter has a distinctive red face, throat and breast. In other plumages, the great knot can be identified by its larger size, longer bill, deeper chest, and the more streaked upperparts.

These birds forage on mudflats and beaches, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat molluscs and insects.

The great knot is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Australia

Great knot are not listed as threatened on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

State of Victoria, Australia
  • Great knot are listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). Under this Act, an Action Statement for the recovery and future management of this species has not been prepared.
  • On the 2013 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria, this species is listed as endangered.

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Category / Seasonal Status

Wiki listed status (concerning Thai population): Mainly passage migrant, endangered

BCST Category: Recorded in an apparently wild state within the last 50 years

BCST Seasonal status: Non-breeding visitor

Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Calidris
Species
Calidris tenuirostris

Common names

  • English: Great knot
  • French: Bécasseau d'anadyr
  • Thai: นกน็อตใหญ่

Conservation status

Vulnerable (IUCN3.1)

Vulnerable (IUCN3.1)

Endangered (IUCN3.1)

Endangered (BirdLife)

Endangered (IUCN3.1)

Endangered (ONEP)

Endangered (IUCN3.1)

Endangered (BCST)

Range Map

Distribution map of Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris in Thailand
  • Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram
  • Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi
  • Bang Pu Recreation Centre
  • Chanthaburi Coast
  • Hat Chao Mai National Park
  • Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
  • Klaeng District, Rayong
  • Ko Libong
  • Laem Pak Bia
  • Mueang Chonburi District, Chonburi
  • Mueang Krabi District, Krabi
  • Mueang Pattani District, Pattani
  • Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi
  • Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan District, Prachuap Khiri Khan
  • Mueang Samut Sakhon District, Samut Sakhon
  • Mueang Samut Songkhram District, Samut Songkhram
  • Mueang Satun District, Satun
  • Pak Thale
  • Phi Phi Islands
  • Takua Pa District, Phang Nga
Range map of Calidris tenuirostris in Thailand