Common name: Ruff
Scientific name: Calidris pugnax
Family: Scolopacidae

Size:
Body length: 22–32 cm
Wingspan: 46–60 cm
Weight: 70–200 g

Identification:
A variable-sized wader with noticeable differences between males and females. Outside the breeding season, both sexes are mottled brown and white with relatively long legs and a slightly downcurved bill. In breeding plumage, males develop extravagant ornamental feathers around the neck (“ruff”) and ear tufts, with wide variation in colors and patterns. Females are smaller and more uniform in appearance.

Habitat:
Wetlands, marshes, shallow lakes, flooded fields, and mudflats.

Status in the UAE:
Common passage migrant and winter visitor. Widely recorded in wetlands across the country.

Diet:
Omnivorous — feeds on insects, crustaceans, worms, and plant material.

Behavior:
Often seen wading in shallow water or feeding on mudflats. During migration, occurs in small to large groups. Males are known for elaborate courtship displays at breeding grounds, although this is not observed in the UAE. Feeds by probing and picking at the surface.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)