© Fabian Pinasco
The red knot (Calidris canutus) is a migratory bird that breeds in the Canadian Arctic during the boreal summer before migrating to temperate regions for the non-breeding season. Of the six currently recognized subspecies, C. canutus rufa it is the only one that has its wintering grounds at the southern tip of South America. Among the various wintering sites this subspecies chooses within Argentina, the province of Tierra del Fuego stands out with the highest concentration of individuals. Arrival in Argentina typically begins in September or October, with the return to the Arctic occurring between February and early May. Along its migratory route across the Atlantic (both north-south and south-north), the red knot stops at various sites to rest and feed before continuing its journey. It is classified as “Near Threatened” globally (BirdLife International, 2018) and as “Critically Endangered” at the national level (MAyDS and AA, 2017). Major threats to its survival include habitat loss and contamination in its wintering habitats.
Species status tables, by year.
Select the year to display the status tables.
2021
CITATION CONSERVATION STATUS (IUCN criteria) Global Near Threatened, 2018 1 Regional – Patagonian Sea Not Evaluated Argentina Critically Endangered, 2015 2 POPULATION SIZE (Individuals) Global 891,000-979,000 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) 11,385 1 Isla Malvinas Absent South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) Absent POPULATION TREND Global Decreasing 1 Argentina (without Islas Malvinas) Decreasing 1 Isla Malvinas Absent South Atlantic Islands (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands) Absent CURRENT SITUATION IN ARGENTINA Total Number of Registered Stopover Sites in Argentina 10 3 to 6 Number of Protected Stopover Sites in Argentina 10 3 to 7 Number of Stopover Sites with Increasing Population Trends 0 3 to 6 Number of Stopover Sites with Decreasing Population Trends 3 3 to 6 Number of Stopover Sites with Stable Population Trends 1 3 to 6 Number of Stopover Sites with Unknown Population Trends 6 3 to 6
Marine Protected Areas with the presence of the species
- Costa Atlántica Tierra del Fuego Provincial Nature Reserve
- Patagonia Austral Interjurisdictional Coastal Marine Park
- Península Valdés Protected Natural Area
- Bahía de San Antonio Protected Natural Area
- Bahía Samborombón Wildlife Refuge
- Punta Rasa Municipal Nature Reserve
- Aves Migratorias Provincial Reserve
Marine areas of intensive use by the species
- Coastal wetlands along the Atlantic coast. They spend the austral summer (boreal winter, from September to February) mainly in Tierra del Fuego (both in Argentina and Chile) and use various stopover sites (from Tierra del Fuego to Punta Rasa) during migrations to and from North America, where they breed.
- BirdLife International. 2018. Calidris canutus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22693363A132285482. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22693363A132285482.en
- Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable y Aves Argentina. (2017). Categorización de las Aves de la Argentina (2015). Informe del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación y de Aves Argentinas, edición electrónica. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Niles, L., Sitters, H., Dey, A., Atkinson, P., Baker, A., Bennett, K., Carmona, R., Clark, K., Clark, N., Espoz, C., Gonzalez, P., Harrington, B., Hernández, D.E., Kalasz, K., Lathrop, R.G., Matus, R., Minton, C.D.T., Morrison, R., Peck, M.K., Serrano, I. (2008). Status of the red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) in the western hemisphere. Studies in Avian Biology 1–185.
- Baker, A., Gonzalez, P., Benegas, L., Rice, S., D’Amico, V. (2005). Annual international shorebird expeditions to Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego 2000-2004. Wader Study Group Bulletin 107, 19–23.
- Guy Morrison, R.I., Kenyon Ross, R., Niles, L.J. (2004). Declines in Wintering Populations of Red Knots in Southern South America. The Condor 106, 60–70.
- Musmeci, L.R., Hernández, M. de los Á., Bala, L.O., Scolaro, J.A. (2012). Use of Peninsula Valdes (Patagonia Argentina) by migrating Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa). Emu – Austral Ornithology 112, 357–362.
- WCS Argentina Database – Marine Program