Red knots are the second most numerous Arctic wader to reach New Zealand. Between 45,000 and 70,000 reach New Zealand each summer and about 4,000 – 8,000 over winter.
The New Zealand Wader Study Group has shown from banding recoveries and leg–flag sightings that adult red knots reach New Zealand in September – October from their breeding grounds on the Chukutski Peninsula of eastern Siberia after four to five flights down through eastern Asia and Australia or Irian Jaya. Many juveniles stop in Australia before moving on to New Zealand in their second year.
The return journey from New Zealand starting in March – April is apparently mainly through staging areas in the Gulf of Carpentaria and New Guinea and the on to the coast of China or Korea.
