Ruff Similar Species Comparison

Breeding male

A chunky, medium-sized shorebird with long legs and a short, slightly curved bill. Breeding males are adorned with bizarre head tufts, ruffs, facial warts, and boldly marked upperparts.

Female

Plumage, bill color, and leg color are all highly variable, so key in on shape for identification. Note relatively small head, large body, long legs, and short bill. Nonbreeding adult has grayish upperparts with pale feather edging. Female typically has a black bill and develops blackish chest barring during the breeding season.

Breeding male

A bizarre yet spectacular shorebird. Breeding males gather on courtship grounds known as leks, where they display their colorful facial warts, head tufts, and neck ruffs to females watching from the edge of the lek.

Juvenile

Juvenile has a buffy face, neck, and breast. Upperparts are variably colored. Bill is black. Leg color in all plumages varies from orange to greenish.

Juvenile

In flight, note the thin white wingbars, white V or U on the uppertail coverts, and feet extending beyond the tail.

Breeding male

Males on leks sometimes sit motionless before suddenly springing to life to perform displays and, at times, fight one another.

Breeding male

Male's ruff and head tuft can be black, white, dark purple, chestnut, or buff; pattern can be barred, spotted, or solid.

Breeding male

Males can be endlessly variable in the exact details of their ruffs, head tufts, and upperpart patterning.

Nonbreeding female

Occurs in a variety of wetlands, where it forages for insects and other invertebrates. Nonbreeding female is grayish-brown above, with pale feather edging, and typically has a dark bill. Note the white patch at the base of the bill. Leg color in all plumages varies from bright orange to dull yellow-green.

Breeding male

Males with white ruffs are known as “satellite” males and are subordinate to most other males on display grounds.

Female

Nonbreeding adult is grayish-brown above, with pale feather edging. Note the white patch at the base of the bill. Legs in all plumages vary from bright orange to dull yellow-green. Nonbreeding female typically has a dark bill.

Juvenile

Forages by picking prey from the surface or probing in shallow water or mud. Juvenile has a buffy face, neck, and breast; a white belly; and crisp, scaly upperparts.

Juvenile

Juvenile has a buffy face, neck, and breast. Upperparts are variably colored. Bill is black. Leg color in all plumages varies from orange to greenish.

Nonbreeding male

Most males grow fancy head tufts and ruffs during a special molt lasting from March to May.

Breeding male

Breeding males gather and display on communal courtship sites known as leks.

Breeding male

Often found in small groups, but during migration occurs in large flocks of hundreds or thousands of birds.

Males, such as the leftmost bird and the white-headed individual on the right, are about 20% larger than females.