Rock Ptarmigan

The Rock Ptarmigan is a medium-sized gamebird in the grouse family. It is known simply as Ptarmigan in Europe and colloquially as Snow Chicken or Partridge in North America, where it is the official bird for the territory of Nunavut, Canada,

The Rock Ptarmigan is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

of rock ptarmigan are found in North America. Seven of the fourteen subspecies occur in the Aleutians, and six of these occur on only one or a few islands. Official Species of Concern Evermann's rock ptarmigan (L. m. evermanni) is an endemic subspecies and is recognized as a "species of special management concern" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More

Isolated populations of rock ptarmigan live on mountaintops in the Pyrenees, the Alps, Central Asia, and Japan. In North America the rock ptarmigan ranges south to British Columbia, Labrador, and Newfoundland. The white-tailed ptarmigan is native to Alaska and the Rocky and Cascade mountains as far south as New Mexico. It is the smallest of the three species. The willow ptarmigan is Lagopus lagopus; rock, L. mutus; white-tailed, L. leucurus. All belong to the grouse family, Tetraonidae. More

The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized (31–35 cm or 12–14 in.) gamebird in the grouse family. It is known simply as Ptarmigan in Europe and colloquially as Snow Chicken or Partridge in North America, where it is the official bird for the territory of Nunavut, Canada, and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. More

willow ptarmigan living closest to timberline, rock ptarmigan on middle slopes and low ridges, and white-tails high among rough rocky screes and boulder-strewn ridges close to glaciers or snowfields. All ptarmigan nest on the ground soon after the snow melts. Hens usually lay six to ten eggs which are incubated for three weeks. Hatching takes place in late June and early July throughout Alaska. More

FY0001D001Female Rock Ptarmigan sitting on nest 1002 Area Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Arctic AK Summer 155AB FY0002D001 View PreviewAdd to LightboxAdd to Cart Buy Prints & Gifts155AB FY0002D001Videographer photographing Rock Ptarmigan in winter plumage Area 1002 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge AK 155AB DI0001 001 View PreviewAdd to LightboxAdd to Cart Buy Prints & Gifts155AB DI0001 001Flock of Rock Ptarmigan in summer plumage on tundra Denali National More

Rock Ptarmigan Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * Male breedingPopOutZoom In Male breeding * © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology * Male breedingPopOutZoom In Male breeding * © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology * Female at nestPopOutZoom In More

This Rock Ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus, flew in and landed about 25 ' from me while I was hiking on Bird Ridge on May 26, 2002. We were just above the 3500' level on rocky terrain that was still covered with significant amounts of snow. A closely related species, the Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is Alaska's State Bird. The Rock Ptarmigan is distinquished from it by the black line from the beak through the eye. More

The Rock Ptarmigan is seasonally camouflaged; its feathers moult from white in winter to brown in spring or summer. The breeding male has greyish upper parts with white wings and underparts. In winter, its plumage becomes completely white except for the black tail. It can be distinguished from the winter Willow Grouse (Willow Ptarmigan in North America) by habitat — the Rock Ptarmigan prefers higher elevations and more barren habitat; it is also smaller with a more delicate bill. More

Rock PtarmiganThe Rock Ptarmigan, Lagopus muta, is also known as Snow Chicken or Partridge in North America, where it is the official bird for the territory of Nunavut, Canada, and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Distribution / Range A sedentary species, the Rock Ptarmigan breeds across arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America (including Greenland) on rocky mountainsides and tundra. More

too the season signals to rock ptarmigan that it is time to head toward more amenable climes. By early October, the large flocks of cocks move down slope or southward gathering at timberline; the hens go a little farther into the scrubby forest openings to spend the winters. By day, birds feed on scant grasses, mosses, and lichens they reach by scraping away the snow. By night, they roost below shrubs or burrow in the snow. More

Rock Ptarmigan uses Flickr – so can you! - Flickr is a great way to stay in touch with people and explore the world. It's free and fun! Join Flickr X Rock Ptarmigan's buddy icon Rock Ptarmigan's photostream Pro User = SetsGalleriesTagsPeopleMapArchivesFavoritesProfile Slideshow Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public. More

Size of Rock PtarmiganThe ground-dwelling rock ptarmigans depend on camouflage for defense, and to achieve this in the changing background of their northerly range, they adopt different plumages. The summer plumage is mottled to blend with the forest, while during the winter snows ptarmigans have white plumage, only the tail feathers remaining dark. Rock ptarmigans feed on leaves, buds, fruits and seeds and on some insects in the summer. They are monogamous birds; the male defends a small territory at the breeding grounds. More

The Rock Ptarmigan is Nunavut's official bird. It is truly a bird of the Arctic because, unlike most other Arctic birds, it remains there year-round. The Rock Ptarmigan is about 27 to 40 cm (11 to 16 in.) long. The end of its tail is square, and it has a small black bill. Unusually, this species has three seasonal plumages More

Rock PtarmiganThe rock ptarmigan is a chicken-like bird about 11-16 inches in length. It has a square tail and a small black bill. It has feathered legs and toes that help it walk in the snow and help keep it warm. In summer males have a whitish belly and wings and are speckled brown and gray on their backs. Females have speckled brown and gray plumage on all of their bodies. Males have a red comb over their eyes. More

Rock ptarmigans can often be found in elevated, rocky, sloped areas of the tundra. Females and chicks may prefer areas with brush to protect them from predators, while males may prefer open, barren areas to assist them in locating predators and other ptarmigans. Size and Description Rock ptarmigans measure between 12 - 16 inches in length. More

The rock ptarmigan is circumpolar and can be found in many areas north of the Arctic Circle, including countries such as Russia, Sweden, Canada, Iceland and Greenland. In some instances they may be found further south in places like Japan. Diet Adult ptarmigans will feed on leaves, flowers, berries, buds, twigs and other types of vegetation. More

Rock ptarmigan breed on hilly or mountainous tundra throughout Alaska. They prefer slopes and high valleys where shin-high shrubs form a patchy pattern with low herbs and grasses. The summer range of rock ptarmigan often abuts willow ptarmigan range, with rock ptarmigan breeding on higher, drier, rockier ground. In winter most male rock ptarmigan are at the lower edge of their breeding range. The hens move to the hills fringing large valleys, where they spend the winter in shrubby, open habitat. More