Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Summary 7
The ruff (Philomachus pugnax) is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia. This highly gregarious sandpiper is migratory and sometimes forms huge flocks in its winter grounds, which include southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia. It is usually considered to be the only member of its genus, and the broad-billed and sharp-tailed sandpipers are its closest relatives.
Taxon biology 8
Who doesn't fantasize about elegantly dressed knights that battle against each other in a tournament for the patronage of a noble lady? Knights are a thing of the past, however ruffs still practice this habit. Unfortunately, this spectacle has practically disappeared in the Netherlands. The days when this country served as a last stop and nesting area for thousands of ruffs are long gone. Even though onaly a handful still nest in the Netherlands, they still come here during migration to Central Africa, where they spend the winter.
Sources and Credits
- (c) nick ford, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/23000678@N05/3549637498
- (c) Ferran Pestaña, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1131/5140160102_2f28d9d2cd.jpg
- (c) Yvan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4762352851_322221392d.jpg
- (c) Kevin Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4989482159_22e56c6764.jpg
- (c) Kevin Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4990088726_0547ca44de.jpg
- (c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/326736301_42ef7d582b.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calidris_pugnax
- (c) Copyright Ecomare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22758962
