Key information
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 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. It is listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
What they eat:
Insects, larvae, frogs, small fish, seeds.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 20-32 cm
- Wingspan:
- 46-58cm
- Weight:
- 70-150 g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 0-11 females
- UK wintering:
- 820 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Ruff (male summer plumage)
Ruff (female)
