Birds · Galliformes · Phasianidae

Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus muta

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The rock ptarmigan is a galliform bird of the family Phasianidae, widespread across the cold regions of the Holarctic and also living high in the main mountain ranges of Eurasia and North America, between the treeline and the permanent snows, where the particular conditions of each area have, through the species' natural adaptation, given rise to several subspecies.

Weight

555 g – 665 g

Size

31 cm – 35 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

GeneralIt moults into wholly white plumage in winter, and its feathered feet let it walk on snow.
It moults three times a year instead of twice, matching the white of the snow, the mottling of the thaw and the grey of the summer rock: it is one of the most precise seasonal camouflages in the animal kingdom.
The Pyrenean population is a glacial relict: it was left isolated on the summits when the ice retreated and has nowhere higher to go as the climate warms.
It buries itself in the snow to spend the night, digging a shelter where the temperature is tens of degrees warmer than outside.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Arctic tundra and stony summits above the treeline, in Eurasia and North America
Sexual maturity: 11.9 months
Gestation / incubation: 22 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 6 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagopus_muta