Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Ruff
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Calidris pugnax
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How to recognize it
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Medium-sized wader, slim with long legs, small head and long neck
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In flight: slow deep wingbeats, thin pale wing bar, white ovals near the tail
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Spring male much larger, with showy neck ruff and head tufts; female and winter plumage grey-brown above, white below
About the species
The Ruff is a slim, long-necked wader with a compact body and a small head. In spring the males become especially showy, but for the rest of the year both sexes look much more subdued.
It is a quiet, busy species. On the lek the males spend more time displaying to one another than calling, while outside the breeding season they move briskly and may feed even after dark.
Ruffs live in marshes and wet meadows, and on migration they gather in large flocks. In summer they eat mostly insects and larvae, then switch to seeds and other plant food in winter; in many places they are migratory, though some stay year-round.
Where to find
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Along muddy pond edges, canal banks, and shallow city waters, especially where reeds begin, Ruff often feeds with a brisk walk and short pecks.
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In damp floodplain lawns and low mossy patches of larger parks with long grass, spring display can be visible — males hop, flare their neck ruff, and crouch at rivals.
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After rain, check waterlogged grass and the margins of temporary puddles, where they pick at small invertebrates almost silently.
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Near overflowed riverbanks and drainage ditches on the city edge, loose flocks rest close together, then wade belly-deep and probe the mud again.
