Great knot sighting untangles a migration mystery

Source: The post is based on the article “Great knot sighting untangles a migration mystery” published in The Hindu on 20th November 2022.

What is the News?

Great Knot from Russia has found its way to Kerala’s coast flying over 9,000 km for a winter sojourn.

Note: Many juvenile great knots have been tagged with MOSKVA rings in the Kamchatka peninsula in eastern Russia.

What is Great Knot?

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris) is a small wader or shorebird. It is a medium-sized shorebird with a straight, slender bill of medium length and a heavily streaked head and neck.

It is an international migratory wading bird that travels vast distances between the Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds and Southern Hemisphere summer feeding grounds.

IUCN Status: Endangered

Distribution: Great Knots occur around coastal areas in many parts of Australia during the southern summer. They breed in eastern Siberia, and when on migration they occur throughout coastal regions of eastern and Southeast Asia.

Habitat: In Australia, Great Knots inhabit intertidal mudflats and sandflats in sheltered coasts, including bays harbours and estuaries. They forage on the moist mud, and they often roost on beaches or in nearby low vegetation, such as mangroves or dune vegetation.