White-tailed Ptarmigan

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

Codes: Common Name: WTPT Scientific Name: LAGLEU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 677541

White-tailed Ptarmigan Summer Male - The summer male White-tailed Ptarmigan has more white below and on the wings.

White-tailed Ptarmigan - The winter White-tailed Ptarmigan is white overall with red eyebrows.

White-tailed Ptarmigan Molting Fall - The fall molting White-tailed Ptarmigan is mottled white and brown overall with white on the wings, breast, and belly. The eye comb is red. The tail is brown with white-edges.

White-tailed Ptarmigan Summer Female - The summer female White-tailed Ptarmigan has black bars on the belly, white flanks and tail, a distinct white eye-ring and a smaller comb.

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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.

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

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