Lagopus leucurus
This bird is so well camouflaged throughout the year that it often flushes explosively from around the feet of hikers. It is grayish-brown in summer and transforms to pure white in winter. The White-tailed Ptarmigan is the smallest of the North American grouse. It mostly lives above treeline, in some of the coldest parts of the Rockies. To avoid the worst temperatures, ptarmigans huddle in close groups and often dig into snow burrows. A ptarmigan's feet are fully feathered, partly to maintain body heat during winter, and partly because the feathered toes also act as snowshoes. A winter ptarmigan's foot has up to four times the surface area as that of a summer bird.
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I.D.: Sexes similar: white outer tail feathers; fully feathered feet. Summer male: mottled brown overall; white on the wings and belly; red comb during courtship. Summer female: mottled brown overall; black barring on the belly. Winter: white plumage; black eyes and bill. Spring and fall: intermediate plumages. Size: L 12-14 in. (31-36 cm). Range: common year-round resident in the Canadian and northern U.S. Rockies; local in the southern and central U.S. Rockies. Habitat: moss, lichen and heather communities, rocky outcrops and willow and alder thickets in alpine areas at or above treeline; may move into the subalpine during harsh winters. Nesting: on the ground; in a slight depression among rocks in snow-free alpine tundra; nest is lined with fine grass, leaves and lichens; female incubates 4-8 eggs for 24-26 days; parents guard their young for up to 2 months. Feeding: gleans and picks the buds, stems, seeds, fruits and flowers of willows and other alpine plants; occasionally eats insects. Voice: Male: high-pitched ku-kriii kriii; low kuk-kuk-kuk. Female: low 'clucks' around the chicks. Similar Species: Willow Ptarmigan: uncommon in the Canadian Rockies; lacks the white outer tail feathers. Blue Grouse: female is much larger and lacks the white outer tail feathers. |
