I have wondered for a long time, why Ruff / Kampfläufer (Calidris pugnax) seem to show leg injuries (much) more often than other shorebirds at Seewinkel, Austria. Is it just that Ruff appear in larger numbers or do they really have cut-off, hanging, dangling, limping legs proportionally more often than other species?
This individual was not using its left leg and it appears that it did so for a very long time, judging from the enormous length of the toenails – talons, I must say. Compare with normal length nails in the photo below.
