Red knot vs Sanderling
The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 2.7 times the weight.
Photo: Arnstein Rønning · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jacob Spinks from Northamptonshire, England · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a red knot and a sanderling?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 2.7 times the weight.
- The red knot is longer-lived: 16.1 years against 14.9 years for the sanderling, about 8% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- The red knot is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; the sanderling is Least Concern.
Side by side
| Red knot | Sanderling | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris canutus | Calidris alba |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 125.8 g – 148 g | 51.7 g – 55.6 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 16.1 years | 14.9 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal | coastal |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 1 | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Red knotFull record: SanderlingCompare other animals