Where to see the Ruff in South Africa

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Ruff at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Rocherpan Nature Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and De Mond Nature Reserve and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

The Ruff is most recorded in Gauteng (32% of records), Western Cape (27% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (14% of records), based on 602 iNaturalist observations. 30 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Ruff on site or nearby.

The Ruff is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Kwandwe Private Game Reserve: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Rocherpan Nature Reserve: Winter and spring for birds and flowers, Jun-Oct; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

The ruff (Calidris 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.