Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus muta

Morphology 3

The rock ptarmigan looks like a small grouse or pheasant; adults are beween 13 and 16 inches long. It has pure white plumage in winter, except for a black tail, which is present in both sexes year-round. Both sexes are barred with nondescript brown and black markings in summer, with females more coarsely marked than males. Males wait longer than females to shed the white plumage in the breeding season. This is part of the courtship display, but also leads to heavier predation of males by gyrfalcons. Males have a black streak from beak to eye, a scarlet comb near the eyes, and are generally pale on the upper body in fall. Some, but not all, females show the black eye streak. Females are nearly invisible against the tundra in summer, and are slightly smaller than males. All ptarmigans have feathered feet, which act as snowshoes, allowing the birds to walk in soft snow. The feathers may also increase insulation for these year-round arctic dwellers.

(Johnsgard, 1973; Kaufman, 1996; Weeden, 1995; Hays, 1998)

Biology 4

Ptarmigans feed on berries, shoots, leaves and seeds. When the ground is covered in snow they seek out areas where the wind has cleared the ground. During autumn, male birds become territorial, and engage in song flights, producing a belching croak. Hens pair with males at this time, but they tend to live in flocks through the autumn and early winter as well as when there has been a snow fall. Roosting occurs on the ground in flocks during winter, and if it has snowed, individuals huddle in a depression scraped in the snow.  Nesting also takes place on the ground, typically next to a large rock for shelter. Females incubate 7-10 eggs for around 21 days, and the chicks can leave the nest after just one day. The chicks feed on invertebrates and reach independence after 10 to 12 weeks.

Habitat 5

Winter habitat is usually brushy slopes near the timberline, where vegetation pokes through snow. Males tend to remain in alpine-like habitats, while females seek more cover. Spring and summer habitat is more open, with males choosing territory sparsely covered in stunted brush and with many rocky outlooks from which to keep watch for other ptarmigans. Chicks tend to prefer swales and ridges without dense brush, where they can fly behind rises to escape danger.

(Johnsgard, 1973; Kaufman, 1996; Weeden, 1995)

Sources and Credits

  1. Alpsdake, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Ptarmigan_Raicyo_in_Tsubakurodake_2003-4-27.jpg
  2. Alpsdake, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Ptarmigan_Raicyou_Female_in_kogouchidake_2008_11_26.jpg
  3. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31400361
  4. (c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/6682666
  5. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31400360

More Info

Range Map

iNaturalist.ca Map

Bird Pheasants Chickens etc (Phasianidae)
Animal Bird
Color grey, red, white