Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Red Knot
Scientific name:	Calidris canutus
Date:	9-7-2026
Time:	12:05 PM
Length of time observed:	5 minutes
Number:	1
Age:	Undetermined
Sex:	Undetermined
Location:	Sandy Beach
County:	Utah
Latilong:	Salt Lake City-Provo
Elevation:	4485
Distance to bird:	100 feet
Optical equipment:	8 x 43 Zen Ray binoculars and Vortex Razor 15-60 X and Claire had her Vortex binoculars and was sharing my scope.
Weather:	partly cloudy, fair, calm
Light Conditions:	sun was overhead
Description: Size of bird:	size of a killdeer
(Description:) Basic Shape:	round shorebird
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	gray, white, black
(Description:) Bill Type:	sandpiper type
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Claire and I were out scoping and enjoying the plethora of birds where the Spanish Fork River meets Utah Lake. We had crossed the river towards the south to get better looks at shorebirds. While scoping I noticed a plump, round, medium, and grayish sandpiper with a straight black bill. It was on a sandpiper resting with Killdeer. I quickly alerted Claire about the sandpiper. We spent the next 5 minutes picking apart the bird to be certain of the identity before a Peregrine Falcon flew through and scared all the shorebirds away. While we were looking at it we noticed a gray cap with an obvious white supercilium below the cap and running above and possibly through the eye as well. It had a thicker black and straight bill. We also could see gray back and wings and white on the flanks and belly, the white extended up into the chest and throat area, but as it got into the chest and throat you could see some gray flecking coming through. It was walking and resting on the far side of the sandbar, which left the legs obscured unfortunately to determine color. We were planning to walk closer to photograph the bird when a Peregrine Falcon came through and the bird picked up and flew away with a peep flock. We did not see the bird in flight to note wing pattern. We searched for over an hour to try and relocate the bird but the bird nor the large peep flock returned to anywhere we could locate.
Song or call & method of delivery:	not heard
Behavior:	resting on sandbar and walking around
Habitat:	where river enters lake with mud flats and shallow water
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Black-bellied Plover. This was eliminated based on the longer straight bill and nearly solid gray back and wings. Sanderling- It was too large to be a Sanderling and any other peep species because of the size of the bird being on par with a Killdeer it stood side by side with. Also a Sanderling in non breeding plumage would have a black shoulder patch, which this bird did not have. Stilt Sandpiper. There was one located here at the time of the bird, and it has a downcurved bill, and is smaller in size than a Red Knot Dowitchers- The bill was not long enough to be a dowitcher bill and had an all black bill and body shape was different. Dunlin- Straight bill instead of down curved bill and it was in the head vs brownish of a non breeding Dunlin. Phalarope- The shape was wrong, it was too big for a Red and Red-necked and bill was too thick and wrong for a Wilson's or other Phalarope. Curlew Sandpiper- The bird had a straight bill instead of a down curved bill of a Curlew Sandpiper and was too large for a Curlew Sandpiper. Great Knot- Highly unlikely, but the solid gray back vs a scaled back and a bold supercilium vs a faint one.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	I've seen them multiple times around the state of Utah in spring and fall.
References consulted:	Sibley, Ebird, and All About Birds
Description from:	Notes made later
Observer:	KC Childs
Observer's address:	Orem, UT
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	Claire Chipman
Date prepared:	10-17-26
Additional material:
Additional comments:	I wasn't aware this was now a review species until Jeff Cooper alerted me after the fact, so that is partial for the delay and for Claire and I to check our notes together on the bird.