The Ruff (female called a Reeve) is a species of shorebird from Eurasia that occasionally is found along both coasts and the Great Lakes here in North America . The males are known for their elaborate courtship displays in a 'lek', where several males will display close together for visiting females. Males have multiple color forms in different amounts of black, white, and rust.

The one record is of a male in non-breeding plumage observed in early April, 1972, at the Cades Cove sewage treatment lagoons. This species is not expected to be found in the park again in the foreseeable future.

References:

Gough, G. A., Sauer, J. R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.