Ruff
Philomachus pugnax
Length 23-29cm

Very variable wader; proportionately small head its most consistent character. Male in breeding plumage (A) has coloured facial warts, ruff and head plumes, used in communal display. Each male is slightly different but ruff feathers usually uniform black, white or chestnut. Outside breeding season, male recalls smaller female (reeve, B) with grey-brown upperparts, pale underparts, dark bill and dull orange legs. Buffish juvenile has pale feather margins on back giving scaly appearance. Rare breeding species, mainly E Anglia, on marshy meadows. Passage migrant elsewhere. Scarce winter resident near coasts of S England and Ireland.