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Ruff Calidris pugnax   [Linnaeus, 1758]
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   Page updated:16-January-2013
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae
BTO Codes: RU, RUFF. EURING No: 5170
Number in Britain: 800 birds (Winter)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: 2 Concern, most in Europe; Declining
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Scarce Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: Monotypic
.
Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 53 cm Weight: M: 180 g   F: 110 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: philomachus=pugnacious and L.: pugnare=to fight
World Distribution: BREEDS: Locally in Europe, n&c Asia, WINTERS: south to s Africa & Australia
Habitat: Grassy tundra, lakes, farmland, on migration mudflat
Diet: Invertebrates, especially insects, some plant material (esp winter)
TitBit: The males are spectacular, using their large ruff of feathers round the neck to attract females; those with white ruffs ('satellite' males) do not display to females, but sneak matings where they can.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: No distribution maps available
British Population Size:
    Winter: 800 individuals in 2004-09
    Passage: 1100 individuals
    First Record: Recorded in Medieval times [Fossil evidence from early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]
    First Breeding Record: Cambridgeshire/Norfolk (after extinct 1898) 1963
    Latest Survey: Holling, M. & RBBP 2011 British Birds 104:476-537
    Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries  and summary map from Time to Fly (in pop-up windows)
European Population Size:
    Summer: 60 to 90 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(I& II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:

Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 44 x 31 mm Egg Weight: 21.0 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 0
Clutch Size: 4 eggs
Incubation: 20- 23 days   by the: Female
Fledging: 25 - 28days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.524 ± 0.036    (Sexes similar)    
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 2 years Typical Lifespan: 4 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 9 years 0 months 25 days (set in 1986)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics
Ring Size: C (females) or D (male and pulli)
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: 168.2 ± 14.6     Range 146.0 - 199.0 mm, (N = 157)
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: 131.3 ± 39.7 Range 71.0 - 220.0 . , (N =138)
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Seasonal: Autumn 157.4 ± 36.05 (N = 12)  

Other Names
Reeve (female)
Previously Philomachus pugnamx
Gaelic: Gibeagan Welsh: Pibydd Totchog
Danish: Brushane Dutch: Kemphaan
Finnish: Suokukko French: Chevalier combattant
German: Kampfläufer Hungarian: Pajzsoscankó
Icelandic: Rúkragi Irish: Rufachán
Italian: Combattante Norwegian: Brushane
Polish: Batalion Portuguese: Combatente
Spanish: Combatiente Swedish: Brushane
Collective Noun:Hill

For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Rhijn, J. 1991 The ruff : individuality in a gregarious wading bird Poyser, London [598.612 RHI]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Details from the Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead