Ruff

Scientific name: Philomachus pugnax

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are notably larger and display dramatic breeding plumage with elaborate neck ruffs and ear-tufts in variable colours (black, white, chestnut, buff); females are smaller and uniformly brown-grey year-round. Both sexes show greenish or orange legs and a white oval rump patch in flight.

Size and weight

Males 29–32 cm, 135–240 g; females 22–24 cm, 75–105 g.

Habitat

Ruffs inhabit open wetlands, marshes, wet meadows, and shallow freshwater or brackish lakeshores with low vegetation. They favour flat or gently rolling terrain at lowland altitudes, avoiding dense cover.

Distribution

Northern Eurasian breeder from Scandinavia to Siberia; winters across sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and the Mediterranean; migrant throughout Europe and western Asia.

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding primarily on invertebrates (dipteran larvae, small arthropods) in mud and shallow water, supplemented with seeds and plant matter, especially in autumn and winter.

Behaviour

Active foragers in open daylight hours, often solitary or in loose flocks outside breeding season; highly migratory with rapid, erratic flight; males are notably aggressive and competitive.

Hunting tips

Look for small three-toed tracks in soft mud and distinctive greenish droppings around shallow wetland margins. Approach from downwind across open ground or use distant water as cover; Ruffs are alert but often allow close approach in feeding concentration. Target early morning or dusk when birds feed actively in exposed shallows and marshland edges.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

France

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.