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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Rock Ptarmigan

Rock Ptarmigan

Rock ptarmigans (pronounced tar-mi-gun) are members of the grouse family inhabiting a vast area around the Arctic pole. They are considered a game bird and hunted by the human population for entertainment and food.

Rock Ptarmigan

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae
Subfamily Tetraoninae
Genus Lagopus
Scientific Name Lagopus muta

Quick Information

Also Known As Ptarmigan (Canada and the UK), snow chicken (informal in the US)
Description Size: 13-14 in (36-36 cm)
Wingspan: 21-24 in (54-60 cm)
Weight: 0.97-1.41 lb (440-640 g)
Color: Black area around the eyes, white plumage, and a black tail during winter, molts to dull brown during the summer, with the tail staying black
Range of Distribution Russia, Finland, Scandinavia, Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland
Habitat Infertile rocky slopes and open tundra in the Arctic and alpine regions; prefers forest edges and thickets during winter
Sounds & Communication Males make an ‘aaaaar-aa-ka-ka-kaa’ sound while females have a quieter ‘kee-aah’
Lifespan 4 years on average, some individuals have been recorded living up to 13 years of age
Diet Buds of willow and birch, leaves, flowers, seeds and berries of various other plants; juveniles also eat insects
Adaptations
  • The seasonal molting is a camouflage from predators
  • Feathers on their feet help them in walking on soft snow by keeping them insulated
  • The black area around the eyes minimizes the risk of getting snow blindness with the reflection of sunlight from the snow
  • They can make vertical flights from a static terrestrial situation because of their strong wings
Predators Birds of prey like golden eagles, crows, ravens, magpies, bald eagles, harriers, pine martens, peregrine falcons, and other carnivores
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern

Rock Ptarmigan Bird

Rock Ptarmigan Images

Behavior

Rock ptarmigans seasonally migrate for short distances, flying south to wintering grounds in winter. They make gender specific flocks in winter which disband at the onset of spring. Males become territorial during spring and defend their area vigorously when an intruder shows up.

Female Rock Ptarmigan

Male Rock Ptarmigan

Mating & Reproduction

Breeding season occurs in spring. Before egg-laying, hens build a nest on the ground in a shallow depression nearby a large rock.  She lays between 7 and 10 eggs which are then incubated for around 21 days.

Life-cycle

Hatchlings are born covered in feather and can leave the nest soon after hatching, usually a day. The mother takes care of her chicks, although they can feed themselves. They become capable of flying at the age of 10 days and become independent after 10 to 12 weeks of age. They reach sexual maturity when they are about 6 months old.

Rock Ptarmigan Summer

Rock Ptarmigan Winter

Interesting Facts

  • Rock ptarmigans are the official bird of Nunavut in Canada. It is also the official game bird of the Newfoundland and Labrador province.
  • Unlike other members of the grouse family, some males of this species help the female in raising the chicks.

Rock Ptarmigan Pictures

Rock Ptarmigan Flying

References:

  1. https://www.npolar.no/en/species/svalbard-rock-ptarmigan/
  2. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rock_Ptarmigan/lifehistory
  3. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=rockptarmigan.main
  4. http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lagopus_muta/

Published on May 10th 2017 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 5th December 2022.

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