Look out for... Ruff
10 Aug 2018
Ruff has one of the most fascinating breeding biologies of all waders, with males competing for females at traditional leks. Research has shown that dominance depends on the colour of the males' colourful 'ruff', with darker plumaged males dominant.
Historically, Ruff was a widespread breeding species, but the population declined from the 1800s and it is now only an irregular breeder in Britain. However, Ruff is a frequent passage migrant to and from breeding grounds in Scandinavia, particularly in autumn. Birds can be encountered at most larger wetlands at coastal and inland sites, and the differing sizes and plumages of adults and juveniles make for an interesting identification challenge.
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