Ruff (Philomachus pugnas). Male, winter plumage. Taken at Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, on October 4th 2019.
Male, winter plumage. Taken at Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, on October 4th 2019.
(1/320th sec at f10. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings) 
Ruff (Philomachus pugnas). Juvenile. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on September 19th 2019.
Juvenile. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on September 19th 2019.
(1/500th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings) Description
♂ L: 29 - 32 cm; WS: 54 - 60 cm ♀ L: 22 - 26cm; WS: 46 - 49cm
The Ruff is a medium-sized wading bird. It has a long neck, a small head, a rather short slightly droopy bill and medium-long orange or reddish legs. In flight it shows a faint wing-stripe and oval white patches either side of the tail. There is a marked size difference, with males being larger. Males sport elaborate plumage in the breeding season.
It breeds in a very small number of sites in eastern England. Its main breeding area is northern Europe. Birds mostly over-winter in Africa, but some stay in the UK on the coast.
Breeding habitat includes taiga bogs, in marshes and pools on mountainsides and tundra, and in wet grass meadows at lakesides or seashore.
The Ruff is a Red list species in the UK, due to the low number of breeding birds.
Sightings
| 23-Sep-2022 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
| 02-Sep-2022 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
|
| 06-Sep-2021 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
| 03-Sep-2021 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
| 31-Aug-2021 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
| 18-Apr-2021 | : | Otmoor, Oxon | (2) |
| 07-Mar-2021 | : | Otmoor, Oxon | (9) |
|
| 04-Feb-2020 | : | Holkham NNR, Norfolk | (3) |
|
| 04-Oct-2019 | : | Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk | (1) |
| 19-Sep-2019 | : | Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon | (1juv) |
| 24-Mar-2019 | : | Otmoor, Oxon | (1) |
| 17-Jan-2019 | : | Slimbridge, Glos | (1) |
|
| 12-Oct-2017 | : | Cley Marshes, Norfolk | (20+) |
| 10-Oct-2017 | : | Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk | |
| 09-Oct-2017 | : | Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk | (20+) |
|
| 23-Oct-2015 | : | Cley Marshes, Norfolk | (1) |
|
| 01-May-2013 | : | The Camargue, France | (2) |
|
| 27-Nov-2011 | : | Slimbridge, Glos | |
|
| 14-Aug-2005 | : | Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk | |
