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Birds

Ruff

Least Concern

Decreasing

Ruff

Calidris pugnax

The ruff has a distinctive gravy boat appearance, with a small head, medium-length bill, longish neck and pot-bellied body. It has long legs that are variable in colour but usually yellow or orange. In flight, it has a deeper, slower wing stroke than other waders of a similar size, and displays a thin, indistinct white bar on the wing, and white ovals on the sides of the tail .

It will feed at night as well as during the day. When feeding, the ruff frequently raises its back feathers, producing a loose pointed peak on the back; this habit is shared only by the black-tailed godwit.

Reeve

Regional Names
  • French:
    Combattant varié
  • Gujarati:
    ટીલીયો
  • Malayalam:
    ബഹുവർണ്ണൻ മണലൂതി
  • Marathi:
    गळाबंद पाणलाव, भांडखोर पाणलावा
  • Nepali:
    राजसुड्सुडिया
  • Tamil:
    பேதை உள்ளான்
Media Gallery
Taxanomy

CHARADRIIFORMES
SCOLOPACIDAE
Calidris pugnax

Quick Facts
  • Except for Calidris pugnax, where the male is called Ruff and the female Reeve, all the other common names in English have the same name for both the sexes.
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