Red knot vs Ruff
The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 131.7 g for the ruff, about 8% more.
Photo: Arnstein Rønning · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Wald1siedel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a red knot and a ruff?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The red knot is heavier: 141.9 g against 131.7 g for the ruff, about 8% more.
- The red knot is longer-lived: 16.1 years against 13.9 years for the ruff, about 16% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- The red knot is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; the ruff is Least Concern.
Side by side
| Red knot | Ruff | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris canutus | Calidris pugnax |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 125.8 g – 148 g | 102 g – 180 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 16.1 years | 13.9 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal | wetland |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 1 | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.