Knot - status

Calidris canutus

Passage migrant and winter visitor.

The Knot has a circumpolar Arctic breeding distribution and winters in temperate and tropical areas. International studies have established that most Knots occurring in Britain are of the race islandica, which breeds in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic.

The nominate race canutus, breeding in the Old World Arctic, could conceivably occur occasionally in Pembrokeshire, perhaps in those years when there is a large influx of Little Stints and Curlew Sandpipers which share a similar breeding range.

Mathew (1894) considered the Knot to be an autumn and winter visitor to Pembrokeshire, appearing on the flats and oozes at the end of August and beginning of September. He gave no indication of the numbers involved but noted it as being seen commonly every autumn near Pembroke, also on the sands at Goodwick.

 Lockley et al (1949) also classified the species as an autumn and winter visitor, usually seen in small parties of less than 20 birds but occasionally in larger groups, noting 100 at Dale on the 6th November 1938.

Post 1949 the Knot has principally remained an autumn migrant but has overwintered and there has been a small and regular spring passage.

References

LOCKLEY. R. M, INGRAM. C. S. and SALMON. H. M.1949. The birds of Pembrokeshire, West Wales Field Society.

MATHEW. M. 1894. The birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands, R. H. Porter.