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LC
Ruff Philomachus pugnax

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern

Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency Does not normally occur in forest
Land mass type   Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 8,580,000 medium
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) 20,400,000 medium
Number of locations -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals poor Estimated 2009
Population trend Decreasing -
Number of subpopulations - - -
Largest subpopulation - - -
Generation length (yrs) 5.3 - - -
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number 2,000,000-2,600,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population estimates include: c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in China; c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in Taiwan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006).

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Afghanistan Native No     Yes
Albania Native No      
Algeria Native No      
Angola Native No      
Anguilla (to UK) Vagrant No      
Antigua and Barbuda Vagrant No      
Armenia Native No      
Australia Vagrant No      
Austria Native No     Yes
Azerbaijan Native No     Yes
Bahrain Native No   Yes Yes
Bangladesh Native No      
Barbados Vagrant No      
Belarus Native No Yes   Yes
Belgium Native No   Yes Yes
Benin Native No      
Bermuda (to UK) Vagrant No      
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) Native No     Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina Native No      
Botswana Native No      
Brazil Vagrant No      
Brunei Native No      
Bulgaria Native No   Yes  
Burkina Faso Native No      
Burundi Native No      
Cambodia Native No      
Cameroon Native No      
Canada Vagrant No      
Cape Verde Native No      
Cayman Islands (to UK) Vagrant No      
Côte d'Ivoire Native No      
Central African Republic Native No      
Chad Native No      
China (mainland) Native No      
Colombia Vagrant No      
Comoros Vagrant No      
Congo Native No      
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Native No      
Costa Rica Vagrant No      
Croatia Native No Yes   Yes
Curaçao (to Netherlands) Native No     Yes
Cyprus Native No   Yes Yes
Czech Republic Native No   Yes Yes
Denmark Native No Yes   Yes
Djibouti Native No      
Dominica Vagrant No      
Egypt Native No      
Eritrea Native No      
Estonia Native No Yes   Yes
Ethiopia Native No      
Faroe Islands (to Denmark) Vagrant No      
Finland Native No Yes   Yes
France Native No     Yes
Gabon Native No      
Gambia Native No      
Georgia Native No      
Germany Native No     Yes
Ghana Native No      
Greece Native No   Yes Yes
Greenland (to Denmark) Vagrant No      
Grenada Native No      
Guadeloupe (to France) Vagrant No     Yes
Guam (to USA) Native No   Yes  
Guatemala Vagrant No      
Guinea Native No      
Guinea-Bissau Native No      
Hong Kong (China) Native No      
Hungary Native No Yes   Yes
Iceland Vagrant No      
India Native No      
Indonesia Native No      
Iran, Islamic Republic of Native No   Yes Yes
Iraq Native No     Yes
Ireland Native No   Yes  
Israel Native No      
Italy Native No   Yes Yes
Jamaica Vagrant No      
Japan Vagrant No      
Jordan Native No   Yes Yes
Kazakhstan Native No Yes    
Kenya Native No      
Kuwait Native No   Yes Yes
Kyrgyzstan Native No     Yes
Laos Vagrant No      
Latvia Native No Yes   Yes
Lebanon Native No   Yes Yes
Lesotho Native No      
Liberia Native No      
Libya Native No      
Liechtenstein Vagrant No      
Lithuania Native No Yes    
Luxembourg Native No      
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Native No   Yes  
Madagascar Vagrant No      
Malawi Native No      
Malaysia Native No      
Maldives Vagrant No      
Mali Native No      
Malta Native No      
Marshall Islands Native No   Yes  
Martinique (to France) Vagrant No      
Mauritania Native No      
Mauritius Vagrant No      
Mexico Vagrant No      
Micronesia, Federated States of Native No   Yes  
Moldova Native No     Yes
Monaco Native No      
Mongolia Native No      
Montenegro Native No   Yes Yes
Montserrat (to UK) Vagrant No      
Morocco Native No      
Mozambique Native No      
Myanmar Native No      
Namibia Native No      
Nepal Native No      
Netherlands Native No      
New Zealand Vagrant No      
Niger Native No      
Nigeria Native No      
North Korea Vagrant No      
Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) Native No   Yes  
Norway Native No Yes   Yes
Oman Native No   Yes Yes
Pakistan Native No      
Palau Native No   Yes  
Palestinian Authority Territories Native No     Yes
Panama Vagrant No      
Papua New Guinea Native No      
Peru Vagrant No      
Philippines Native No      
Poland Native No     Yes
Portugal Native No   Yes  
Puerto Rico (to USA) Vagrant No      
Qatar Native No   Yes Yes
Romania Native No   Yes Yes
Russia (Asian) Native No Yes    
Russia (Central Asian) Native No Yes   Yes
Russia (European) Native No     Yes
Rwanda Native No      
Saudi Arabia Native No   Yes Yes
Senegal Native No      
Serbia Native No   Yes Yes
Seychelles Vagrant No      
Sierra Leone Native No      
Singapore Native No      
Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) Native No     Yes
Slovakia Native No      
Slovenia Native No   Yes Yes
Solomon Islands Vagrant No      
Somalia Native No      
South Africa Native No      
South Korea Native No      
South Sudan Native No   Yes  
Spain Native No   Yes Yes
Sri Lanka Native No      
St Kitts and Nevis Vagrant No      
St Lucia Vagrant No      
St Vincent and the Grenadines Vagrant No      
Sudan Native No      
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) Vagrant No      
Swaziland Native No      
Sweden Native No Yes   Yes
Switzerland Native No   Yes  
Syria Native No   Yes Yes
Taiwan (China) Native No      
Tajikistan Native No      
Tanzania Native No      
Thailand Native No      
Timor-Leste Native No   Yes Yes
Togo Native No      
Trinidad and Tobago Vagrant No      
Tunisia Native No      
Turkey Native No   Yes  
Turkmenistan Native No      
Uganda Native No      
Ukraine Native No     Yes
United Arab Emirates Native No   Yes Yes
United Kingdom Native No     Yes
United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) Vagrant No      
USA Vagrant No Yes    
Uzbekistan Native No      
Venezuela Vagrant No      
Vietnam Native No      
Virgin Islands (to UK) Vagrant No      
Virgin Islands (to USA) Vagrant No      
Yemen Native No   Yes Yes
Zambia Native No      
Zimbabwe Native No      

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Cameroon Logone flood-plain site factsheet
Chad Lake Chad site factsheet
Estonia Alam-Pedja site factsheet
Estonia Lahemaa site factsheet
Estonia Lavassaare site factsheet
Estonia Muraka site factsheet
Estonia Nätsi-Võlla site factsheet
Ethiopia Abijatta - Shalla Lakes National Park site factsheet
Finland Kemihaara (Vuotos) mires and forests site factsheet
Finland Lemmenjoki-Hammastunturi-Pulju site factsheet
Finland Martimoaapa-Lumiaapa-Penikat site factsheet
Finland Oulu region wetlands site factsheet
Finland Pomokaira-Koitelaiskaira site factsheet
Finland Saariselkä and Koilliskaira site factsheet
France Plaine du Forez site factsheet
Germany Jadebusen, inland site factsheet
Hungary Hortobágy and Tisza-to site factsheet
India Bardha Dam site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Uromiyeh site factsheet
Kazakhstan Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve site factsheet
Kazakhstan Tuzashchy and Karasor Lakes site factsheet
Kazakhstan Uyalyshalkar Lake System site factsheet
Kazakhstan Vicinity of Korgalzhyn village site factsheet
Kazakhstan Zhumay-Mayshukyr Lake System site factsheet
Lithuania Birveta Fish-farm including segments of Dysna River and Birveta River valleys site factsheet
Lithuania Kretuonas Landscape Reserve site factsheet
Mali Lac Débo - Lac Oualado Débo site factsheet
Mali Lac Faguibine site factsheet
Mali Lac Horo site factsheet
Mali Timisobo - Képagou site factsheet
Mauritania Gabou site factsheet
Mauritania Gâat Mahmoûdé site factsheet
Mauritania Tâmourt en Na'âj site factsheet
Netherlands Groote Wielen site factsheet
Netherlands Ilperveld, Varkensland and Twiske site factsheet
Netherlands Lauwersmeer site factsheet
Netherlands Oostzanerveld site factsheet
Netherlands Oude Venen site factsheet
Netherlands Workumerwaard site factsheet
Netherlands Wormer-and Jisperveld site factsheet
Nigeria Hadejia-Nguru wetlands site factsheet
Norway Inner part of Porsanger fjord site factsheet
Pakistan Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary site factsheet
Poland Biebrza river valley site factsheet
Romania Buhuşu reservoir - Bacău - Tătărăşti site factsheet
Romania Câmpia Crişurilor site factsheet
Romania Cefa fish-ponds and Radvani wood site factsheet
Romania Comana site factsheet
Romania Danube Delta site factsheet
Romania Jijiei şi Miletinului fish-ponds site factsheet
Romania Lacurile Fălticeni site factsheet
Romania Maglavit site factsheet
Romania Miheşu de Câmpie-Taureni fish-ponds site factsheet
Romania Suhaia site factsheet
Russia (Asian) Batanakovskiye swamps site factsheet
Russia (Asian) Khadyn lake site factsheet
Russia (Central Asian) Dvuob'ye site factsheet
Russia (Central Asian) Krutali Lake site factsheet
Russia (Central Asian) Lower Ob' site factsheet
Russia (European) Burukshunskiye limans site factsheet
Russia (European) Kozinka lake and Baranikovski segment of Manych site factsheet
Saudi Arabia Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons site factsheet
Senegal Djoudj wetlands site factsheet
Senegal Ndiaël basin (including the 'Trois Marigots') site factsheet
Senegal River Sénégal (Ntiagar to Richard-Toll) site factsheet
Slovakia Senné site factsheet
Slovenia Lake Cerknica site factsheet
Slovenia River Drava site factsheet
Somalia Far Waamo site factsheet
South Sudan Lake Abiad (South Sudan) site factsheet
Sudan Lake Abiad (Sudan) site factsheet
Sweden Muddus site factsheet
Tanzania Lake Manyara National Park site factsheet
Ukraine Syvash Bay site factsheet
United Kingdom Dungeness To Pett Levels site factsheet
United Kingdom Hamford Water site factsheet
United Kingdom Humber Estuary site factsheet
United Kingdom Lower Derwent Valley site factsheet
United Kingdom Martin Mere site factsheet
United Kingdom Mid-Essex Coast site factsheet
United Kingdom Nene Washes site factsheet
United Kingdom North Norfolk Coast site factsheet
United Kingdom Ouse Washes site factsheet
United Kingdom The Swale site factsheet
Uzbekistan Sudochye Lake site factsheet
Zambia Bangweulu Swamps site factsheet
Zambia Kafue Flats site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land major non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable non-breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded suitable non-breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable non-breeding
Marine Intertidal Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) suitable non-breeding
Marine Neritic Estuaries suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Altitude 0 - 0 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather Habitat shifting & alteration Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Whole (>90%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Food (human) Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild International Non-trivial Recent
Sport Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Philomachus pugnax. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Least Concern
Family Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and allies)
Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)
Population size mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 8,580,000 km2
Country endemic? No
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species