Greater Ruff [Ruff philomachus]
Description
The Greater Ruff 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 silent, but on breeding grounds, the male has a variety of calls, while the female has a loud squawk. The male is much larger than the female and has a breeding plumage that includes brightly colored head tufts, bare orange facial skin, extensive black on the breast, and the large collar of ornamental feathers that inspired the bird's English name.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Charadriiformes
|
| Family |
Sandpipers and Allies
Scolopacidae
|
| Genus |
Ruff
Philomachus
|