Red knot  (Calidris canutus)

Six subspecies of the red knot are recognised, all of which breed on the Northern tundra areas and winter at temperate or tropical coastal areas. The American subspecies (Calidris canutus rufa) has the longest migration route, breeding in the Canadianarctic and flying via the eastern American coast to Patagonia and Terra del Fuego. The other American subspecies (C. c. rooselari) breeds in Alaska and winters in Florida. The C. c. islandica subspecies breeds in Canada and Greenland and winters in Europe along the coasts of the United Kingdom, France and the Wadden Sea. C. c. canutus breeds in West-Siberia and flies via Europe to West- and South-Africa, where the mudflats of the Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania are an important wintering area. The last two subspecies both breed in eastern Siberia and migrate south via the Chinese and Korean coasts; C. c. piersmai winters in north-west Australia and C. c. rogersi winters in New Zealand (2).

The red knot breeds on tundra. Stopover and winter areas are preferably large tidal mudflats, but include also rocky shores and beaches (2) (7).