Latin Name
Three species are present in North America: the Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus, the White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucurus, and the Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus.
Family
Grouse (Tetraonidae)
The ptarmigan is a plump gamebird, slightly larger than a partridge. In summer, is a mixture of grey, brown and black above with white bellies and wings.
All ptarmigans have feathered feet, rare among chicken like birds, which improve their ability to walk in snow. They also have white wings throughout the year. Inflatable red combs above their eyes, which are especially evident in territorial and courting males, are inconspicuous to barely visible in females.
In North America, ptarmigans of one kind or another live in almost every arctic and alpine habitat, as long as vegetation is present. The three species may breed on the same mountain but not in the same habitat.
In late fall, ptarmigans seek more protected areas, moving down slopes or southward into the taller vegetation of dense shrubs and forested areas. Willow Ptarmigans may move well into the treed zone.
To the people of the North, ptarmigans are a source of food as well as companionship through fair and foul weather. The closeness of this relationship shines through in the legends, toys, and art of all arctic peoples. Ref. Soapstone carvings of the Inuit.
- sharp and long beak to quickly catch insects
- small shorts wings for sudden movement
- sharp claws to cling onto small perches such as fences
- pale, flesh-coloured legs
- in breeding season, has 'parachute' display flight
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The only adaptations a mountain plover has is its fur which is sandy brown like camfloge so it blends in with some trees so its predators cannot find it.
Ptarmigans produce white feathers for the winter so as to be camouflaged by the snow.
the adaptation is the ptarmigans white feathers in winter, and brown feathers in summer, so it can hide from predators
a white winter coat matches the snow and changes to brown for spring and summer.
the ptarmigan feathers change its feathers colour to help it to hide from predators.
The willow ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska because It is the bird that mostly comes around all year.
a ptarmigan is a game bird that belongs to the grouse family....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptarmigan
Ptarmigans, like many flying birds, have hollow bones. These light bones make it easier for the bird to fly. During the summer, the ptarmigans bones become heavier and stronger so they can withstand the stress of the ptarmigan's search for food. in the winter the bones become lighter so the bird can conserve energy while flying.
Click on the two links below to see what the Willow Ptarmigan looks like.
She was named after the bird called ptarmigan
The state bird of Alaska is the Willow Ptarmigan.[in "ptarmigan," the "p" is silent]alaska's state bird is the Willow Ptarmigan
Yes. The ptarmigan is of the grouse family.
The willow ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska because It is the bird that mostly comes around all year.
The Willow Ptarmigan
the bird of Nunavut is Rock Ptarmigan
The Territorial Bird of Nunavut is the rock ptarmigan.
The Territorial Bird of Nunavut is the rock ptarmigan.
a ptarmigan is a game bird that belongs to the grouse family....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptarmigan
rock ptarmigan
Ptarmigan (it's a bird) Pterodactyl (it WAS a bird) Apt Interrupt Slept
Its name is the Willow Ptarmigan .
Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus).