The Great Knot is the largest of the calidrid birds and grows to 26–28 cm long, with a wingspan of approximately 58 cm. Females are slightly larger than males. The bill is black, and slightly downward curved and tinged green at the tip. The eye is brown, legs and feet dark greenish-grey. The bird has noticeable breeding, non-breeding and juvenile plumages.
Great Knot |
Calidris tenuirostris
Status: Critically Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Calidris tenuirostris
Threats to the global population of the great knot across its range include habitat loss and habitat degradation (e.g. through land reclamation; industrial use and urban expansion changes to the water regime invasive plants water quality deterioration environmental pollution) pollution contaminants disturbance diseases direct mortality e.g. hunting and climate change impacts (Moores 2006 Rogers et al. 2006 Garnett et al. 2011 Curran et al. 2014).
Climate change Climate change and associated changes in sea level are likely to have a long term impact on the breeding; staging and non breeding grounds of migratory shorebirds (Melville 1997 Harding et al. 2007).