Great Knot - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by Tom Tarrant
South-eastern Queensland, September 2002

Calidris tenuirostris

Identification

24-27cm (9½-10½ in)
Breeding Adult

• Brown upperparts
• Whitish belly
• Breast heavily streaked with black
• Orange spots on scapulars

Non-breeding plumage
Photo © by colonelboris
Cairns Esplanade, Queensland, October 2010

Distribution

Breeds north-eastern Siberia
Winters to India, South-East Asia, Philippines and Australia

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Sheltered coastal mudflats of estuaries, inlets, harbours, lagoons, mangrove swamps. Also on sandy bars & beaches near mudflats and fresh water marsh, and salt pans.

Behaviour

Diet

Adult moulting to non-breeding plumage
Photo © by SeeToh
Seletar Dam, Singapore, Augus 2016

During the breeding season their diet consists mosty of berries and other plant material.

Breeding

Monogamous.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
3. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Great Knot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 March 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Great_Knot

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