Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 191 & 194-195.

Order CHARADRIIFORMES: Waders, Gulls and Terns The family sequence of Christidis & Boles (1994), who adopted that of Sibley et al. (1988) and Sibley & Monroe (1990), is followed here.

Family SCOLOPACIDAE Rafinesque: Sandpipers and Allies Scolopacea Rafinesque, 1815: Analyse de la Nature: 70 – Type genus Scolopax Linnaeus, 1758.

Christidis & Boles (1994) noted that the sequence of genera and species in the Scolopacidae varies considerably between works, and that there are no substantive data to favour any one sequence over another. The sequence adopted by Checklist Committee (1990) is generally followed here in the interests of consistency.

Subfamily CALIDRINAE Reichenbach: Arctic Sandpipers and Allies Calidrinae Reichenbach, 1853: Avium Syst. Nat.: 17 – Type genus Calidris Merrem, 1804.

Genus Calidris Merrem Calidris Merrem, 1804: Allg. Lit. Zeitung 2(168): col. 542 – Type species (by tautonymy) Tringa calidris Gmelin = Calidris canutus (Linnaeus). Ereunetes Illiger, 1811: Prodromus Syst. Mamm. Avium: 262 – Type species (by monotypy) Ereunetes petrificatus Illiger = Calidris pusilla Linnaeus. Erolia Vieillot, 1816: Analyse Nouv. Ornith. Elem.: 55 – Type species (by monotypy) Erolia variegata Vieillot = Calidris ferruginea (Pontoppidan). Pelidna Cuvier, 1817: Règne Anim. 1: 490 – Type species (by original designation) Tringa alpina Linnaeus = Calidris alpina (Linnaeus). Crocethia Billberg, 1828: Synop. Faun. Scand. 1(2): 132 – Type species (by monotypy) Charadrius calidris Linnaeus = Calidris alba (Pallas). Pisobia Billberg, 1828: Synop. Faun. Scand. 1(2): 136 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Tringa minuta Leisler = Calidris minuta (Leisler). Limonites Kaup, 1829: Skizz. Entw.-Gesch. Eur. Thierw.: 37 – Type species (by monotypy) Tringa temminckii Leisler = Calidris temminckii (Leisler). Ancylochilus Kaup, 1829: Skizz. Entw.-Gesch. Eur. Thierw.: 50 – Type species (by monotypy) Scolopax subarquata Güldenstaedt = Calidris ferruginea (Pontoppidan). Actodromas Kaup, 1829: Skizz. Entw.-Gesch. Eur. Thierw.: 55 – Type species (by monotypy) Tringa minuta Leisler = Calidris minuta (Leisler). Canutus Brehm, 1831: Handb. Naturgesch. Vög. Deutschl.: 653 – Type species (by tautonymy) Tringa canutus Linnaeus = Calidris canutus (Linnaeus). Micropalama Baird, 1858: Expl. Surv. Miss. River Pac. Ocean. Birds: 714, 726 – Type species (by monotypy) Tringa himantopus Bonaparte = Calidris himantopus (Bonaparte). Heteropygia Coues, 1861: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad.: 190 – Type species (by original designation) Tringa bonapartei Baird = Calidris fuscicollis (Vieillot). Limnocinclus Gould, 1865: Handb. Birds Australia 2: 254 – Type species (by subsequent designation) Totanus acuminatus Horsfield = Calidris acuminata (Horsfield). Anteliotringa Mathews, 1913: Birds Australia 3: 274 – Type species (by original designation) Totanus tenuirostris Horsfield = Calidris tenuirostris (Horsfield).

Calidris canutus (Linnaeus) Red Knot Tringa canutus Linnaeus, 1758: Syst. Nat., 10th edition 1: 149 – Sweden.

Breeds in widely separated parts of the high arctic. Migrates to temperate and tropical estuaries of both hemispheres. Six subspecies have been recognised recently (Higgins & Davies 1996, Tomkovich 2001).

Calidris canutus rogersi (Mathews) Lesser Knot Tringa canutus; Hutton 1904, Index Faunae N.Z.: 32. Not Tringa canutus Linnaeus, 1758. Canutus canutus rogersi Mathews, 1913: Birds Australia 3: 270, 273, pl. 163 – Shanghai, China. Canutus canutus; Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 261. Not Tringa canutus Linnaeus, 1758. Calidris canutus rogersi (Mathews); Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 46. Calidris canutus canutus; Checklist Committee 1970, Annot. Checklist Birds N.Z.: 49. Not Tringa canutus Linnaeus, 1758.

The vernacular name lesser knot is retained here to distinguish subspecies C. c. rogersi from other subspecies of C. canutus. Breeds in north-east Siberia. Migrates to Australia and New Zealand (Higgins & Davies 1996, Tomkovich 2001). The East Asian–Australasian Flyway population is estimated at 255,000 birds, of which c. 153,000 migrate to Australia. The second most numerous arctic wader visiting New Zealand each year, with an estimated 59,000 in the country every summer. Widespread; favoured localities being Manukau Harbour and Farewell Spit (Sagar et al. 1999, Medway 2000c). An occasional visitor to Norfolk Island (Schodde et al. 1983; Moore 1985a, 1999; Hermes et al. 1986) and Kermadec Islands (Veitch et al. 2004); a regular summer visitor to the Chatham Islands (Aikman & Miskelly 2004); and a straggler to Auckland, Campbell / Motu Ihupuku and Macquarie Islands (Higgins & Davies 1996).