Species: Philomachus pugnax
Ruff
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Philomachus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Playereo Combatiente - combattant varié
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Shorebirds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae - Philomachus
Ecology and Life History
Migration
false - false - true - Males begin leaving breeding areas in late June, followed by females and juveniles from mid-July; main arival in winter range August-September; return passage February-May (Hayman et al. 1986).
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Eats mostly aquatic insects, some worms, crustaceans, mollusks, freshwater algae, weed seeds, and some grain; probes mud for food, seldom walks into water [?] (Terres 1980). May wade deeply and submerge head when feeding (Hayman et al. 1986).
Reproduction Comments
In Europe, lays clutch of 4 eggs during May-June. Males engage in communal courtship displays in traditional sites.
Ecology Comments
In North America, adults usually are associated with greater or lesser yellowlegs (Terres 1980).
Length
25
Weight
163
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-26
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-26
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.ON=__&US.AK=__&US.DE=__&US.HI=__&US.IL=__&US.MA=__&US.NJ=__&US.NY=__&US.NC=__&US.WA=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
BREEDS: Eurasia; also has nested in North America in northwestern Alaska (Point Lay). Occasional nonbreeders recorded in winter range during breeding season. Winters mainly in Old World, predominantly in Africa. Rare but regular migrant in Hawaii, Alaska, east coast of North America, and Lesser Antilles (AOU 1983).