Dunlin vs Red knot
The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 51.9 g for the dunlin, about 2.7 times the weight.
Photo: Jevgenijs Slihto from Riga, Latvia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Arnstein Rønning · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a dunlin and a red knot?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 51.9 g for the dunlin, about 2.7 times the weight.
- The dunlin is longer-lived: 19.8 years against 16.1 years for the red knot, about 23% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Dunlin | Red knot | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris alpina | Calidris canutus |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 51.9 g – 57.1 g | 125.8 g – 148 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 19.8 years | 16.1 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland | coastal |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Near Threatened |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | 1 |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: DunlinFull record: Red knotCompare other animals