Ptarmigan General.
Diet.
They are primarily herbivores, but younger birds must eat insects because they are high in protein and easy to digest. Willow Ptarmigan; Rock Ptarmigan; White-tailed Ptarmigan; Ptarmigan General. Willow Ptarmigan are usually monogamous, but 5–9% of males may be polygynous. Ptarmigan, like grouse, their closest relatives, occupy cooler climates than most other upland fowl and are distinguished by having feathers covering their nostrils, and sometimes their legs and toes, and by having fleshy eyebrows, called combs that are especially obvious when red in breeding males. The white-tailed ptarmigan, also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. The comb is larger in the spring and summer. As their name implies, these birds feed on willow buds and twigs as a staple of their diet. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where it was previously considered to be a separate species, as the red grouse. The willow ptarmigan has a varied and seasonal diet. This is the only grouse in which the male is regularly involved in parental care. The Willow Ptarmigan (Lapopus lagopus) - also known as Red Grouse or Willow Grouse in Europe - is a medium-sized gamebird.. Young chicks feed mostly on insects and spiders at first, soon beginning to eat more … Adult almost entirely vegetarian, feeding heavily on willow, alder, birch, and other plants, eating the buds, leaves, and twigs. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. The willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) changes color from light brown in summer to snow white in winter for effective camouflage from predators.
Males have four varying seasonal plumages, and females have three. These grouses occur naturally in the forests and moorlands in the tundra of Scotland, Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada. It is a sedentary In summer, the Willow Ptarmigan is more brownish in color. In the winter, it is all white except for a few black feathers on its tail. Another distinctive feature is its feathered toes. Unusual for grouse, pairs remain together from the beginning of the breeding season until their chicks are independent. Their white wings distinguish them from all other grouse except the Ptarmigan. Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus Lagopus), Alaska State Bird in Winter Plumage, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Photographic Print by Patrick Endres A Ptarmigan so beautifully camouflaged in the snow! Mostly buds, twigs, leaves, and seeds. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States.
They feed typically just after sunrise and in the late afternoon, but during the long days of summer, they feed throughout the day. Willow grouse are medium-sized grouse. Regularly swallows grit to help with digesting rough plant material. Adult almost entirely vegetarian, feeding heavily on willow, alder, birch, and other plants, eating the buds, leaves, and twigs. In summer their plumage is mainly reddish brown (male) or brownish (female) with white wings.