Description Philomachus pugnax
English: Two male Ruff at Diergaarde Blijdorp, Netherlands.
Date 22 May 2009, 14:06:00
Source originally posted to Flickr as 2009-05-22-14h06m00.IMG_9725l http://flickr.com/photos/46956042@N00/3554767058
Author Arjan Haverkamp http://flickr.com/photos/46956042@N00
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philomachus_pugnax_-Diergaarde_Blijdorp-8c.jpg

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. Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae, Genus: Philomachus, Species: Philomachus pugnax, (Linnaeus, 1758), Synonyms: Calidris pugnax.