Ruff

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Ruff in the UK

Mainly a passage migrant, with a small wintering population and a tiny breeding one. About 920 winter in the UK, mostly in England at both inland and coastal sites. Breeding is rare: the most recent five-year mean is 13 females, and nesting is now confined to north-west England and the Hebrides. Breeding numbers fell strongly in the 25 years to 2019, following much larger losses in the 18th and 19th centuries. Red listed, and protected under Schedule 1.

Where and when to see a Ruff

Look on freshwater scrapes, lagoon edges and flooded grassland. Autumn passage runs from July to October and peaks in August, when fresh juveniles from Scandinavia come through. Spring birds pass in April and May. RSPB Titchwell Marsh and RSPB Frampton Marsh are reliable, as are WWT Welney, WWT Martin Mere and WWT Slimbridge, which also hold wintering birds. East and south-east England see the most. Ruffs often feed out on wet grass, away from the main wader flock.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Wet meadows, lagoons.
Diet: Invertebrates, seeds.
Field note: Males grow ruffs at lek in spring.

How to identify a Ruff

Shape is the key: a small head on a longish neck, a pot belly, a hunched back and a short, slightly drooped bill. Males are larger than a Redshank, females (reeves) clearly smaller, so a flock looks like two species. Juveniles are buff on the face and breast with neat scaly upperparts. Legs vary from greenish to orange. In flight look for a thin wing bar and a white oval on each side of the tail. Spring males grow ruffs and head tufts in black, white or chestnut.

Call and song

Usually silent. Ruffs are among the quietest British waders, even when flushed. At most you may hear a low, gruff grunt from a flock in flight. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Common Redshank: Redshank has a straight red-based bill, a broad white trailing edge to the wing and a loud ringing call.
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Buff-breasted is smaller with a plain buff face, a short straight bill, yellow legs and no white ovals at the tail sides.
• Wood Sandpiper: Wood Sandpiper is slimmer with a bold pale stripe over the eye, a square white rump and a sharp 'chiff-iff-iff' call.

Month by month

A passage migrant. Look for it on spring and autumn movements rather than through the summer. Numbers peak in April. See the April birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Ruff is an Uncommon tier bird, worth +3 points when you log one. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Pectoral SandpiperRare · Wet meadows (autumn passage)
• Red KnotUncommon · Estuaries (winter spectacles)
• SanderlingUncommon · Sandy beaches
• Baird's SandpiperEpic · Pools
• Broad-billed SandpiperEpic · Pools (very rare passage)
• Buff-breasted SandpiperRare · Short grass (autumn passage)

Ruff: quick answers

When is the best time to see Ruff?

August and September. Juveniles on their first trip south stop at scrapes and muddy pool edges across England, sometimes in double figures. Winter is also good at a few wetland reserves. Males in full breeding dress are scarce and brief here, mostly in late April and May.

What does a Ruff eat?

Insects and their larvae, worms, small snails and crustaceans, picked from mud and wet grass or taken by wading. Outside the breeding season it also eats seeds and will feed on stubble and flooded fields.

Is the Ruff rare in the UK?

As a breeding bird, yes: only a few females nest in most years. As a migrant it is regular in small numbers, and under a thousand stay for the winter. You should find one in a day at a good east coast wetland in early autumn.

Kit that helps

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