Ruff (Philomachus pugna), Arlington Valley, Maricopa County

The Ruff is an accidental to casual migrant in Arizona. The fifth state record occurred as recently as 2004, making the occurrence of two in the state in the last three months of 2007 exceptional. This makes four documented occurrences in Maricopa alone. This bird was first noted in the Arlington area on 22 December 2007 by Melanie Herring and photographed on 24 December 2007 by Troy Corman. Photos and written details have been submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee for this Review Species.

24 December 2007 photo by Troy Corman