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Bird name:

Willow Ptarmigan

Lagopus lagopusOrder: GALLIFORMES Family: Turkeys and Grouse (Phasianidae)

Codes: Common Name: WIPT Scientific Name: LAGLAG ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175804

Breeding Location:

Tundra

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Abundant to very common

Egg Color:

Yellow with brown splotches

Number of Eggs:

5 - 17

Incubation Days:

21 - 22

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with grass and feathers.

Migration:

Most do not migrate

General

Willow Ptarmigan: Small grouse with rust-brown upperparts, head, and breast, white eye-ring, orange-red eye comb, and white wings, belly, and leg feathers; tail is brown with darker edges. Female is brown overall with heavy white bars and white eyebrows. Winter adult is all white with dark-edged tail and small orange-red eye combs.

Range and Habitat

Willow Ptarmigan: Ranges from Alaska to Labrador and south to central British Columbia, northern Ontario, and central Quebec; also found in parts of northern Asia and Europe. Inhabits tundra and thickets with alder and willow trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Willow Ptarmigan: Five to seventeen brown splotched, yellow eggs are laid in a ground hollow lined with feathers and grass. Incubation ranges from 21 to 22 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Willow Ptarmigan: Feeds on flowers, buds, and insects. Eats twigs and buds from willows and alders in the winter.

Vocalization

Willow Ptarmigan: During the courtship display, male makes harsh barking "go-back, go-back, go-back."

Similar Species

Willow Ptarmigan: White-tailed Ptarmigan has a white tail. Rock Ptarmigan is smaller, has black eye-line, and is more gray-brown than rust brown.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Willow Ptarmigan

Willow Ptarmigan: Small grouse, rust-brown upperparts, head, breast, white eye-ring, orange-red eye comb, white wings, belly, leg feathers; brown tail. Unlike other ptarmigans, the male stays with the female and defends its nest-it is known to attack anything that comes to close.

● Song: "go-back, go-back, go-back"

● Foraging & Feeding: Willow Ptarmigan: Feeds on flowers, buds, and insects. Eats twigs and buds from willows and alders in the winter.

● Breeding & nesting: Willow Ptarmigan: Five to seventeen brown splotched, yellow eggs are laid in a ground hollow lined with feathers and grass. Incubation ranges from 21 to 22 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Willow Ptarmigan: White-tailed Ptarmigan has a white tail. Rock Ptarmigan is smaller, has black eye-line, and is more gray-brown than rust brown.

Flight Pattern

Swift short flight on rapidly beating wings.

Willow Ptarmigan Winter Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Willow Ptarmigan: Ranges from Alaska to Labrador and south to central British Columbia, northern Ontario, and central Quebec; also found in parts of northern Asia and Europe. Inhabits tundra and thickets with alder and willow trees.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationAbundant to very common

^MigrationMost do not migrate

^Weight20.8 Ounces

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Comb

Only found in male birds and consists of a colored area over the eye. A well developed comb can also signal (sexual) health to a potential mate.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Willow Ptarmigan

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Willow Ptarmigan

Flight Pattern