The appearance of a Great knot bird in Kerala, a species known to be transcontinental migrants from Russia, has attracted significant media attention. The bird had traveled over a distance of 9,000 kilometers utilizing the Central Asian Flyway. This is notable because only two Great knots have been observed in India; the other was sighted at Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Understanding the Great knot
The Great knot, a medium-sized bulky wader, has some distinguishing physical characteristics. It has a straight, dark-brown bill and yellowish-brown legs. The top part of its body is grey with dark feather tips, while the underparts are white. It boasts a pure white rump and a tail tipped with grey. Its breeding plumage consists of darker top parts displaying black and chestnut markings.
Known scientifically as Calidris tenuirostris, the Great knot holds an Endangered status according to IUCN. The bird’s main breeding grounds are in north-east Siberia, Russia. From there, they migrate to spend winters primarily in Australia. They’re also known to migrate to South-East Asia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. In India, they prefer the coastal regions of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The Yellow Sea of North Korea, South Korea, and China is a particularly important stop-over site for them during migration in both spring and autumn.
Habitat and Ecology of the Great knot
These birds typically dwell within sheltered, coastal habitats with large intertidal mudflats or sandflats. They are often spotted in inlets, bays, harbours, estuaries, and lagoons. They can also be found on sandy beaches with mudflats close by, sandy spits and islets, and sometimes on exposed reefs or rock platforms.
Significance of the Central Asian Flyway (CAF)
The Central Asian Flyway is a crucial migration route for different waterbirds. It stretches across more than 30 countries, linking their northernmost breeding grounds in Russia (Siberia) with the southernmost non-breeding (wintering) areas in West and South Asia, the Maldives, and British Indian Ocean Territory.
This flyway stands as one among the nine global flyways, and one of three that pass through the Indian Subcontinent. The other two are the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF) and the Asian East African Flyway (AEAF). These flyways represent the area used by a group of birds during their annual cycle, which includes their breeding areas, stop-over areas, and wintering areas. India plays a strategic role in this migratory route, providing critical sites for over 90% of bird species known to utilize it. For the Great knot, and other similar migratory species, these global flyways act as their lifeline, offering essential sites for breeding, feeding, and survival during winters.