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 leg. In flight it shows a faint wing-stripe and oval white patches either side of the tail. It breeds in a very few lowland sites in eastern England, and it appears that numbers are dropping. It is a migrant but in the UK some birds are present all year round. Many young birds from Scandinavia visit the UK in late summer, then migrating on to Africa.
Key ID Features
Spring males are unmistakable with their extraordinary broad feathery ruff and curly tufts on the crown, which vary in colour, chequered back and bright orange-red legs and bill.
For the rest of the year they have boldly blotched back and sides, a pale belly and a relatively short, dark, faintly curved bill, although the leg and bill colour can vary during transitional phases.
Dark feathers are buff to white edged giving them a scaly appearance.
In its steady, plodding flight, thin white wing bars and white sides of the dark rump are visible, as are the contrasting pale inner wings and dark outer wings.
Overview
Scientific name: Philomachus pugnax
Family: Sandpipers and allies (Scolopacidae)
Where to see them:
Best looked for on passage in spring and autumn in suitable habitat, particularly on the east and south coasts of the UK. Some birds overwinter, generally near the coast. Try some of the RSPB coastal wetland reserves, where there are lagoons, such as Titchwell, Norfolk.
Seen in UK:
All year round.
What they eat
Insects, larvae, frogs, small fish, seeds.
Text (c) RSPB, used with permission
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Photographer: Tim Tapley
