Visual Search | Wizard | Browse
Bird name:
Home| Search| Browser| Expert| Forum| Store| My WhatBird| Help| Site Map

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Lagopus leucuraOrder: GALLIFORMES Family: Turkeys and Grouse (Phasianidae)
Codes: Common Name: WTPT Scientific Name: LAGLEU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 677541
Least Concern
 
White-tailed Ptarmigan: The winter White-tailed Ptarmigan is white overall with red eyebrows.
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 Whatbird.com






Rate this Illustration: Excellent Very Good Good
Fair Below Avg Poor

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Clingers Only Feeder
Weather resistant inexpensive feeder is ideal for small birds.
Suet Delight
Easy to hang and maintain, holds all kinds of packaged suet.
Ultimate Woodpecker Feeder
Only allows woodpeckers to feed made of Inland Cedar.
The No-No Copper Feeder
Beautiful copper feeder holds 2.5 lbs of sunflower seeds.
Attracting Clingers

Overview

White-tailed Ptarmigan: Small grouse, mottled brown overall, white on wings, breast, belly, red eye comb, white-edged brown tail, legs covered with white feathers. It is the smallest of the ptarmigans, and the only one that nests south of Canada. Lives most of its life above timberline.

Range and Habitat

White-tailed Ptarmigan: Common resident in the Canadian and northern U.S. Rockies, ranging from the most northern states southward to northern New Mexico. Found on rocky ridges near the snow line.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"ku-kriii kriii", "kuk-kuk-kuk"

Interesting Facts

 The White-tailed Ptarmigan was first described in 1831 by Sir John Richardson, a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.

 It has feathers around its nostrils so that the air it breathes in is warmed before it reaches its body.

 It may be stressed by warm weather. It can be seen bathing in snow when the temperature is higher than 70° F.

 A group of ptarmigan have many collective nouns, including a "congregation", "covey", and "invisibleness" of ptarmigan.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

Splitbar
Range Map for White-tailed Ptarmigan

.
Family Grouse (Phasianidae)_blue
Species Lagopus leucura
Length12 - 13 Inches
Wingspan16.5 Inches

White-tailed Ptarmigan

White-tailed Ptarmigan: Small grouse, mottled brown overall, white on wings, breast, belly, red eye comb, white-edged brown tail, legs covered with white feathers. It is the smallest of the ptarmigans, and the only one that nests south of Canada. Lives most of its life above timberline.

● Song: "ku-kriii kriii", "kuk-kuk-kuk"

● Foraging & Feeding: White-tailed Ptarmigan: Feeds on seeds, buds, flowers, and fruits of willows and other alpine plants; occasionally eats insects.

● Breeding & nesting: White-tailed Ptarmigan: Three to nine brown-blotched or spotted, pink or buff eggs are laid among rocks in a ground depression lined with grass, lichens, small leaves, and feathers. Incubation ranges from 22 to 24 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: White-tailed Ptarmigan: Other ptarmigans have black on tails.

Flight Pattern

Strong,swift, and rapid, but relatively short flight.
White-tailed Ptarmigan Winter Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: White-tailed Ptarmigan: Common resident in the Canadian and northern U.S. Rockies, ranging from the most northern states southward to northern New Mexico. Found on rocky ridges near the snow line.
BreedingMonogamous
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight12.7 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
BellyX
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.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CombX
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 codesX

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.

Read more...
ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

Read more...
Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX