Ruff

Calidris pugnax (Linnaeus, 1758)

Scolopacidae — Sandpipers, Snipes

Ruff, Calidris pugnax, is a wading bird of the Palearctic, breeding from the low Arctic to temperate tundra and steppe across north-west Europe, northern Ukraine, north-west Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia and far eastern Siberia. Outside the breeding season it occurs in inland and coastal areas from southern and western Europe through Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asia to the Philippines, eastern China, Taiwan and central to southern Japan, with a rarer presence in the Indonesian Archipelago. It is a migratory species and can gather in very large flocks.

Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae — Sandpipers, Snipes
Breeding range
Palearctic: low Arctic to temperate tundra and steppe of Palearctic: nw Europe from Belgium and Scandinavia s through n Ukraine, nw Kazakhstan, n Mongolia to far e Siberia
Nonbreeding range
AF, sw PAL, India : inland and coastal c, s Europe, Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, se Asia, Philippines, ec China, Taiwan and c to s Japan; rarer Indonesian Arch.
Ruff
© Aneta p · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

11 tours in Namibia 2, India 1, Portugal 1, Norway 1, France 1, Netherlands 1, Poland 1, Czech Republic 1, Croatia 1, South Africa 1

Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
India / New Delhi Group tour 17 days

A 17-day northern India expedition combining wetland and Himalayan birding with Ranthambhore and Corbett wildlife safaris, the Chambal River...

From USD 9,565 Next: Jan 21, 2027
Terceira Wetlands and Coastal Birdwatching Tour
Terceira Wetlands and Coastal Birdwatching Tour
Portugal / Angra do Heroismo Private tour 1 day

A private three-to-four-hour birding route through Terceira’s wetlands and coast, adapted to season, recent sightings and each guest’s p...

Private Bird Photography Tour in Vesterålen
Private Bird Photography Tour in Vesterålen
Norway / Sortland Private tour

A private bird photography outing shaped around the season and your target species, using local hides, feeding sites, vehicle access and sel...

Tailor-Made Birdwatching in Landes and the French Basque Country
Tailor-Made Birdwatching in Landes and the French Basque Country
France / Ondres Private tour 1 day

A private half-day or full-day birdwatching outing in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, from the Southern Landes into the French Basque Country, adapted t...

From EUR 70
Private South Holland Birding Excursion with Jon Duifhuis
Private South Holland Birding Excursion with Jon Duifhuis
Netherlands / Delft Private tour 2h

A flexible private birdwatching excursion in South Holland with Jon Duifhuis, suitable for beginners and experienced birders and available f...

From EUR 160
Avis Dam Birding Walk in Windhoek
Avis Dam Birding Walk in Windhoek
Namibia / Windhoek Private tour 1 day

Walk the grassland, thorn scrub, rocky slopes and wetland edges of Avis Dam with a local guide, searching for Rockrunner and varied Windhoek...

From USD 60
3-Day Biebrza National Park Marsh Birding Tour
3-Day Biebrza National Park Marsh Birding Tour
Poland / Biebrza 3 days

A three-day guided exploration of the Biebrza Marshes, combining wet meadows, river valley habitats and spring bird activity in northeastern...

Private Lednice-Valtice Wetland Birding with Petr Suvorov
Private Lednice-Valtice Wetland Birding with Petr Suvorov
Czech Republic / Brno Private tour

Explore the protected Lednice fishponds and the wider Lednice-Valtice landscape on a private South Moravia birding outing led by Petr Suvoro...

Spring Birding in Dalmatia
Spring Birding in Dalmatia
Croatia / Zadar Group tour 7 days

A 7-day spring birding route through Dalmatia's lakes, islands, saltpans, river canyons, karst and migration hotspots....

From EUR 1,600
Private Cape Peninsula Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
Private Cape Peninsula Birding Day Tour with Birding Ecotours
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 1 day

A flexible private day from Cape Town combining Kirstenbosch, peninsula wetlands and an African Penguin colony, with Cape endemics and coast...

From ZAR 7,000
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Namibia / Walvis Bay Group tour 18 days

An 18-day birding expedition from Namibia's Atlantic coast through Etosha and the Okavango Panhandle to Victoria Falls, combining desert nea...

From USD 10,206