Subspecies:canutus, islandica recorded in Britain (of 6 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
24 cm
Wingspan:
59 cm
Weight:
M/F: 140 g
Scientific name from:
Gr.: kalidris=grey waterside bird described by Aristotle
and after Canute (995-1035), king of England
World Distribution:
BREEDS: arctic North America, Greenland, n Siberia, WINTERS: Europe, s Asia south to s Africa & Australia, s South America
Habitat:
Tundra, on migration coastal
Diet:
Summer, insects and plant material, Winter Inter-tidal invertebrates, esp molluscs
TitBit:
The Knot's name, recalling King Canute, stems from the fact that it is often found feeding on the tide edge, sometimes in large numbers - with flocks in excess of 100,000 birds appearing like drifts of smoke in the sky sometimes recorded, especially in cold winters.