Ruff

Calidris pugnax

Introduction

This medium-sized wader can seem ungainly, with its short bill, small head and a halting gait. Sightings logged through BirdTrack reveal that Ruff can be encountered throughout the year, although highest numbers occur in early August, when migration occurs.

Summer plumage is a varied affair in Ruff, with richly-mottled earthy colours and a feathery collar of either russet, black or white, giving rise to their name. Males display communally in front of females at sites known as 'leks'.

In autumn, the Ouse Washes and the nearby Norfolk coast hold the largest concentrations of Ruff, including smart gingery juvenile birds, which can be seen feeding in marshes and wet fields, sometimes accompanying plovers on bare arable land.

Key Stats

Common

146.3g

4-4

BTO Records

140k records

Publications

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

13 Females

14.3% expansion

No data

920

12.4% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Ruff

ID Videos

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This section features BTO training videos headlining this species, or featuring it as a potential confusion species.

Ruff

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern

Red listed

Species of European Conservation Concern

Near Threatened

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Yes

Birds Directive Annex 1

Listed on the Annexes of*

WCA(I), WBD(I& II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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UK (breeding)

13 Females (2013–17)

Source

BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Recorded in Medieval times

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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This species was once a more common breeding species in the UK but substantial declines occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries (Birds of England) since when Ruff has been a scarce breeding species. More recently, RBBP figures indicate that the Ruff has suffered a strong decline in breeding numbers in the 25 years to 2019, with a five-year mean of 13 females in the period 2015–2019; the UK range has shifted northwards with most breeding records now coming from Scotland (Eaton et al. 2021).

Distribution

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In winter, Ruffs are found at inland and coastal locations, predominantly in England, and are scarce elsewhere. They are very scarce breeders in Britain. Fenland remains a favoured area, but elsewhere breeding is now confined to northwest England and the Hebrides.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

% occupied in breeding season

0.5%

No. occupied in winter

274

% occupied in winter

9.1%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and indicate by how much occupied areas have expanded or contracted over recent decades.

% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)

14.3 %

% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11)

12.4 %

Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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Ruffs are recorded year-round though with a strong peak during autumn migration.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Ruff movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Ruff, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

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Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods

Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width

44x31 mm

Mass (% shell)

21g (5%)

Source

Clutch Size

Typical number

4-4 eggs

Observed minimum and maximum

2-4 eggs

Source

Incubation

Incubation by

Female

Typical duration

23-20 days

Source

Fledging

Type of chick

Precocial, downy

Typical duration

28-25 days

Source

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age

4 years with breeding typically at 2 years

Source

Maximum age from a ringed bird

9 years, 25 days (set in 1986)

Source

Survival of adults

All adults

0.524±0.036

Females

0.524

Males

0.524

Source

Biometrics

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Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Wing length

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

169.4±15.9 mm

(152-194 mm, N=69)

Body weight

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

169.4±15.9 mm

(152-194 mm, N=69)

Ring Size

C (females) or D (male and pulli)

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Ruff

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Scientific name: Calidris pugnax
Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

BTO 2-letter code: RU
BTO 5-letter code: RUFF.
Euring code number: 5170

Alternate species names

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Catalan: batallaire
Czech: jespák bojovný
Danish: Brushane
Dutch: Kemphaan
Estonian: tutkas
Finnish: suokukko
French: Combattant varié
Gaelic: Gibeagan

German: Kampfläufer
Hungarian: pajzsoscankó
Icelandic: Rúkragi
Irish: Rufachán
Italian: Combattente
Latvian: gugatnis
Lithuanian: gaidukas
Norwegian: Brushane

Polish: batalion
Portuguese: combatente
Slovak: bojovník bahenný
Slovenian: togotnik
Spanish: Combatiente
Swedish: brushane
Welsh: Pibydd Torchog

Research

Interpretation and scientific publications about Ruff from BTO scientists.

Causes of Change and Solutions

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Causes of change

The decline in UK since 1970s mirrors the pattern shown in larger populations across Europe (Keller et al. 2020). There has also been a change of migration route with most of the main population from Russia now migrating through Belarus rather than western Europe(Rakhimberdiev et al. 2011, Verkuil et al. 2012). This change is believed to have been caused by a deterioration in the quality of staging sites in the Netherlands and, as a consequence of the reduced numbers of passage birds, a long-term recovery in the number of breeding Ruff in the UK is considered unlikely even if suitable habitat exists in the UK.

Publications (2)

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Consequences of population change for local abundance and site occupancy of wintering waterbirds

Protected sites for birds are typically designated based on the site’s importance for the species that use it. For example, sites may be selected as Special Protection Areas (under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds) if they support more than 1% of a given national or international population of a species or an assemblage of over 20,000 waterbirds or seabirds. However, through the impacts of changing climates, habitat loss and invasive species, the way species use sites may change. As populations increase, abundance at existing sites may go up or new sites may be colonized. Similarly, as populations decrease, abundance at occupied sites may go down, or some sites may be abandoned. Determining how bird populations are spread across protected sites, and how changes in populations may affect this, is essential to making sure that they remain protected in the future.

20.09.17

Papers

Sex differences in the migration, moult and wintering areas of British-ringed Ruff

01.01.95

Papers Ringing and Migration

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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