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The Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a bird found in Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, and 1 more countries. Wet meadows and marshes across northern Eurasia. It eats insects and other small invertebrates, leaves and other plant parts and reptiles and frogs. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

🏡 Where the Ruff lives

Wet meadows and marshes across northern Eurasia.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🐛 Insects & bugs50%
• 🌿 Leaves & plants20%
• 🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%
• 🐟 Fish10%
• 🌰 Seeds & nuts10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Ruff

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC1167426. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Ruff

Where does the Ruff live?

The Ruff lives in Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, and 1 more countries. Wet meadows and marshes across northern Eurasia.

What does the Ruff eat?

insects and other small invertebrates (about 50%), leaves and other plant parts (about 20%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%), fish (about 10%), seeds and nuts (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Ruff endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from Europe

• Common Kingfisher
• Hoopoe
• Atlantic Puffin
• Mallard
• European Robin
• Mute Swan

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.