Ruff vs American Woodcock

Calidris pugnax compared with Scolopax minor

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Ruff American Woodcock
Scientific Name Calidris pugnax Scolopax minor
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Scolopacidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 32.7 cm (12.9 in) 26.0 cm (10.2 in)
Weight 156.0 g (5.50 oz) 192.0 g (6.77 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3-4 3-4
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Ruff only

American Woodcock only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Ruff

Least Concern

American Woodcock

About These Birds

Ruff

Ruff: 20–32 cm, highly sexually dimorphic sandpiper; breeding males grow an elaborate neck ruff in white, black, rufous, or barred patterns for lek displays. Breeds on wet Arctic and boreal meadows of Eurasia; winters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Female ('Reeve') plain brown. Feeds on invertebrates and seeds. Long-distance migrant.

American Woodcock

American Woodcock: 25–31 cm, rotund crepuscular wader with cryptic dead-leaf plumage, large eyes set high on the head, and an extremely long flexible bill for probing earthworms. Inhabits moist woodland and shrubby margins in eastern North America; winters in southern US. Famous for spiralling courtship 'sky dance.' Migratory.

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