Tracking Knot to Canada
08 Aug 2016
Large flocks of Knot wheeling over mudflats are a familiar sight in estuarine areas around Britain and Ireland. However, the breeding grounds and precise migration routes are still imperfectly known, although this is rapidly changing with the advent of lightweight satellite transmitters. Weighing only 2 grams, these do not interfere with the bird's movement while giving an unprecedented insight into migration.
In the Netherlands, one Knot was fitted with a tracking device last April. After release, the bird was tracked flying from the Netherlands to Greenland in May, returning briefly to Iceland. The bird continued its migration to Ellesmere Island in northernmost Canada, but is believed to have failed in its breeding attempt as it returned to the Waddensea just three weeks later. The latter journey of over 2,500 miles was completed non-stop in 60 hours, an incredible feat of endurance!
Share this page