Great Knot

The Great Knot is a failry common migratory shorebird from their Siberian breeding grounds to Malaysia’s coastal mudflats although a propotion will use our coast as stopover sites during its journey to its further south Australian wintering grounds. It is identifiable by its stocky built, a greyish shorebird with a long, slightly downcurved bill (longer than its head), black or dark brown beady eyes, white belly, grey upperparts with black spotting on the face, throat, and breast, sometimes appearing as a dark chest band. But when in breeding plumage which is rarely encountered in Malaysia it will showed a distinct contrast with a brick-orange/chestnut color on the head, neck, and breast, heavily mottled with black, and a darker back with rufous scapulars, looking much richer and more patterned than its winter self, making it stand out from other shorebirds.

Great Knots often associate and are found with godwits, specifically, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits at various stopover/staging and wintering sites in Malaysia, this will be of assistance in locating them. They appear rounder and plumber than the other similar size waders and shorebirds.

The Great Knot is an endangered shorebird, and West Malaysia’s coasts, including areas in Selangor (like North-Central Selangor Coast IBA) and Penang (Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda Coast IBA), serve as crucial wintering and stopover sites.

https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/great-knot-calidris-tenuirostris

At Teluk Air Tawar – Kuala Muda: a migrant, and an Endangered species. MNS counted about 200 in November 2024. Look for it from August to April, in the largest numbers from October to February. See When to see shorebirds at Teluk Air Tawar – Kuala Muda.