Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
Turbott, E.G. 1990. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand. Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Near Threatened | A2bcd+4bcd |
| 2018 | Near Threatened | A2abc+3bc+4abc |
| 2016 | Near Threatened | A2abc+3bc+4abc |
| 2015 | Near Threatened | A2abc+3bc+4abc |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | 142 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 17,800,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 300,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 2000000-3000000 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2024 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | estimated | 2008-2027 |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 15-29% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 15-29% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 6.4 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 6 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 1-89% | - | - | - |
Population justification: Extrapolating data from the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM) surveys on the species' breeding grounds in Canada, Bart et al. (in prep.) estimated a population size of 1.2 million of islandica and rufa combined, a figure nearly 10 times higher than that calculated by Andres et al. (2012). This estimate does not include populations of islandica in northern Greenland. Taxon canutus was estimated by van Roomen et al. (2015) to number c.250,000, but was revised upwards by van Roomen et al. (2022) for the period 2016-2020 to 260,000-275,000; the latter is accepted here but may still be an underestimate based on breeding densities elsewhere (Bart et al. in prep.). Taxa piersmai and rogersi were estimated, respectively, to number 50,000-62,000 and 48,500-60,000 birds (Clemens et al. 2021), while roselaari probably numbers only c.17,000 (Andres et al. 2012). Combining all these estimates, the global population size is thought to number at least 2 million breeding birds, with an upper bound set to 3 million.
Trend justification: Trends vary across populations but a collation of these suggests moderately rapid declines in this species over the past three generations (19 years). The overall trend of Canadian breeding taxa islandica and rufa, which together comprise a majority of the global population, is difficult to determine. Based on extensive counts on the Atlantic coast of North America, Smith et al. (2023) estimated catastrophic declines equivalent to 88.5% over three generations (evidence of population collapse is also provided by Andres et al. [2012] and USFWS [2014]), but van Roomen et al. (2022) estimated that wintering islandica in western Europe had a stable population trend. Taxon canutus, which is estimated to comprise approximately c.10-12% of the species' global abundance, was estimated by van Roomen et al. (2022) to be declining at a rate equivalent to c.54% over three generations, based on an extrapolation of data from between 2011 and 2020. Rogers et al. (2023) also found a stable trend in Australian populations (piersmai and rogersi combined). The population trend of roselaari is unknown, although this population comprises only <1% of the global population.
Combining these data into a single global population trend is hampered by the disparate trends shown by Smith et al. (2023) and van Roomen et al. (2022). Because a very large proportion of the population of rufa/islandica estimated by Bart et al. (in prep.) is thought to comprise European-wintering islandica, the stable trend of van Roomen et al. (2022) is thought to be more representative. Nonetheless, the combination of Smith et al. (2023) and the trend in C. c. canutus (van Roomen et al. 2022) provide evidence of localised rapid population decline, which are thought to have resulted in a global decline of 15-29% over the past three generations. Future rates of decline are highly uncertain and not estimated here; it is plausible that global rates of decline will slow as taxon canutus becomes an increasingly less significant part of the species' global status; alternatively threats (which for this species are not wholly understood) driving population declines in some populations may begin to affect others.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Algeria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Angola | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Anguilla (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Argentina | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Australia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahamas | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Barbados | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Belize | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Benin | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bolivia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Botswana | extant | native | yes | |||
| Brazil | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Brunei | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cameroon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cape Verde | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Chile | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Colombia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Congo | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Costa Rica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cuba | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Dominica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Dominican Republic | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ecuador | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Egypt | extant | native | yes | |||
| El Salvador | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Fiji | extant | native | yes | |||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | |||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| French Guiana | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| French Southern Territories | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gabon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gambia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Grenada | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guatemala | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guinea | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guyana | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Haiti | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Honduras | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Indonesia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Jamaica | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Japan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Liberia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Libya | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Luxembourg | extant | native | yes | |||
| Macao (China) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Malaysia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mali | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malta | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mauritania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Monaco | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mongolia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Morocco | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Mozambique | extant | native | yes | |||
| Myanmar | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Namibia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| New Zealand | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Nicaragua | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Nigeria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| North Korea | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | |||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Palau | extant | native | yes | |||
| Panama | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Papua New Guinea | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Paraguay | extant | native | yes | |||
| Peru | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Philippines | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| São Tomé e Príncipe | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Senegal | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Seychelles | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Singapore | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Somalia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Africa | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Korea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Barthelemy (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Kitts and Nevis | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Lucia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Martin (to France) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Suriname | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | |||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Taiwan, China | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tanzania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Thailand | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Timor-Leste | extant | native | yes | |||
| Togo | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tunisia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Uruguay | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| USA | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Venezuela | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Vietnam | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | |||
| Zambia | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Tundra | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture - Industrial aquaculture | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents - Oil spills | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red Knot Calidris canutus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-knot-calidris-canutus on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.