UK Wildlife

Knot Mass Migration Spectacle

The knot is a medium-sized wader that creates the most spectacular wader murmurations in Europe when wintering on UK estuaries, with Snettisham in Norfolk hosting truly astonishing shows.

Key Facts

Knot murmurations at Snettisham can involve 100,000 birds in synchronised aerial displays
UK wintering population around 290,000, one of the largest concentrations in Europe
Breeds in Greenland and Canadian Arctic, staging in Iceland on migration
Feeds exclusively on bivalves and cockles in estuarine mud
Body size reduces in winter as an energy-saving adaptation

Welfare Considerations

Knot depend on productive estuaries with abundant shellfish. Cockle fisheries on key estuaries like The Wash can deplete the food resources knot depend on. Estuary disturbance causes these tight flocks to burn critical winter energy.

What You Can Do

Visit Snettisham RSPB reserve to witness one of UK wildlife's greatest spectacles
Advocate for sustainable shellfish management on estuaries that maintains wader food resources
Support estuarine habitat protection designations that safeguard knot feeding grounds