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Ruff Philomachus pugnax [Linnaeus, 1758]


	Order: Charadriiformes	Family: Scolopacidae
	BTO Codes: RU, RUFF.	EURING No: 5170
	Number in Britain: 700 birds (Winter)
	Conservation Status:
	UK: RED
	European: 2 Concern, most in Europe; Declining
	Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images Videos Sound

Status in UK: (A) Migrant 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: 700 individuals in 1987-92 Baker, H. et al. (2006) British Birds 99:25-44

Summer: 37 males in 1998-02 Baker, H. et al. (2006) British Birds 99:25-44

Passage: 1100 individuals

First Record: 15th Century [Fossil evidence from early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]

First Breeding Record: Cambridgeshire/Norfolk (after extinct 1898) 1963 Brown, A. 2007. British Birds 100:214-243

Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline, Eaton, M.A. et al. 2009. British Birds 102:296-341

Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER Gregory, R.D. et al. 2002. British Birds 95:410-448

1996-2001 AMBER Gibbons, D.W. et al. 1996. RSPB Conservation Review 10:7-18

Races of Concern:

Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):

No habitat data from BBS

European Population Size:

Summer: 60 to 90 thousand pairs Bufield, I. & Van Bommel, F. (2004) Birds in Europe. Birdlife International, Cambridge.

Population Assesment from Birds in Europe

Distribution in Europe

Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(I& II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA

Survey Results:	Wetland Bird Survey Alerts


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: 19
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: 9yr 0m (Finland: 13yr 11m)


Biometrics

Ring Size: C (females) or D (male and pulli)
Wing Length	Adult:	Insufficient Data.
	Juvenile:	169.4 ± 15.9	152 - 194 mm, N =69
	Male:	Insufficient Data
	Female:	Insufficient Data

Weight	Adult:	Insufficient Data.
	Juvenile:	136.8 ± 43.19	85.00 - 215.0 g , N =61
	Male:	Insufficient Data
	Female:	Insufficient Data


Other Names
Reeve (female)


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:

Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter

Wikipedia entry

State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead

Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com

Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005

Find more papers on Google Scholar

Find more papers on Scirus


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These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)		© British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK. Terms and Conditions \| Privacy Statement Registered Charity Number 216652.
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