A species that I have thought would be a candidate for a reintroduction programme in the UK, since it seems to do well in captivity. A big Ruff lek must be a wonderful sight.
How is the population in the UK ? In the Netherlands the species is also almost disappeared and you are right that the species is doing quite well in captivity. 20 - 25 years ago I took care for a group at Vogelpark Walsrode and we bred them in good numbers.
Would also love to see some kind of re-introduction programm in either the Netherlands or the UK ( or both ) !
How is the population in the UK ? In the Netherlands the species is also almost disappeared and you are right that the species is doing quite well in captivity. 20 - 25 years ago I took care for a group at Vogelpark Walsrode and we bred them in good numbers.
Would also love to see some kind of re-introduction programm in either the Netherlands or the UK ( or both ) !
From the Rare Birds Breeding Panel report for 2007:"The sharp decline in the breeding population (over 50% in the last 25 years) meant that the Ruff was moved from Amber to Red in the recent BoCC assessment. In the Netherlands the population has fallen by 90% since the 1950s, and in Denmark there was a 75% decrease between 1970 and 1995 (Delany et al. 2009)."
