Knot

Knot (Tringa canutus), a wading shore-bird of the family Scolopacidae, in the same genus as the dunlin, stints, &c. It is a regular autumn visitor to Britain, especially to the eastern estuaries, but breeds in the far north, and ranges as far south as the West Indies. The general colour, in summer, is reddish brown, finely mingled with black, gray, and white; in winter the plumage becomes mostly ash gray, and on the under parts white. The total length is about 10 inches. Its food consists in great part of small bivalves, but buds and insects are also eaten. The bird used to be caught and fattened for the table.