Ptarmigans are able to blend into their backgrounds.
The ptarmigan, a close relative of the grouse, is a species of bird that exists in alpine settings and on the tundra of the northern hemisphere. The three subspecies of ptarmigan all live in Canada and portions of the United States. In Alaska, the willow ptarmigan is the state bird.
Size
The willow ptarmigan is the largest of the ptarmigan species, averaging between 15 and 17 inches in length, reports the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds." The rock ptarmigan is a grouse that can grow to be 14 inches in length, while the white-tailed ptarmigan is the smallest of this trio, with a large bird reaching about a foot in length.
Identification
Ptarmigans are all white in the wintertime so that they can blend in against the background of snow that typically covers the landscapes of their habitats. Only black feathers on their tail and red combs over each eye show up against the snow. In the summer, a ptarmigan takes on a much darker and mottled appearance. The willow ptarmigan male will be reddish with whitish belly and wings, while the female will be brownish. The rock ptarmigans are combinations of white, brown and gray in the winter, as are the white-tailed ptarmigans. The toes of a ptarmigan have a covering of feathers on them.
Geography
Willow ptarmigans and rock ptarmigans have a much larger geographic distribution than the white-tailed ptarmigan. Both of those species exist across much of northern Canada and into Alaska, with the willow ptarmigan having the larger range. Willow and rock ptarmigan live on the tundra and in valleys and thickets. The white-tailed ptarmigan is a western bird in North America, occurring in alpine regions from Alaska southward to as far as New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains.
Diet
The diet of the ptarmigan centers on vegetation and insects. The willow ptarmigan focuses on willow twigs and buds in the winter, as well as those of birches. The rock ptarmigan during the cold weather eats birch catkins and buds, while a white-tailed ptarmigan eats mixtures of alder, birch and willow parts. Once warmer weather arrives, the ptarmigans will eat bugs like caterpillars and beetles, berries, new growth and fruit when available.
Considerations
Ptarmigan populations fluctuate widely from year to year, from their numbers being very high to the birds being nearly absent from many portions of their range. These population changes remain a mystery to ornithologists. Ptarmigan males take longer to change back to their summer colors, making them quite conspicuous as they seek mates. The females, though, blend in so well with their habitat that they are hard to spot from even a few feet away.
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