Rock Ptarmigan

     The Rock Ptarmigan, or as simply known ‘the Ptarmigan’ is a medium-sized ‘Gamebird’ in the Grouse family. It’s also colloquially named as the Snow Chicken  in the USA, and is an official bird in some territories across Canada and Japan. The Rock Ptarmigan is a sedentary species that breeds across arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America. They are inhabitants of rocky mountainsides and tundra.

     The Rock Ptarmigan also resembles the Willow Ptarmigan but is smaller by about 10%, and has a more delicate bill. Another difference is the place of habitat, as the Rock Ptarmigan prefers higher elevations and more barren habitats.

     As other Ptarmigan species, the Rock Ptarmigan has two morphs. During summer, both sexes become greyish-brown, and females show more coarsely barred plumage with an overall yellowish hue. In winter, both Rock Ptarmigan sexes become totally white except for the short, black tail. Male birds have a blackish patch between the eye and the bill at all times of the year. They also develop bright red wattles over the eyes which are more pronounced in the breeding season.

     The Rock Ptarmigan is a very fast maturing grouse, as it becomes sexually mature at about six months of age. The female usually incubates 7 – 10 eggs for around 21 days, and the chicks reach independence after 10 to 12 weeks. Thirty-one subspecies are recognized for the Rock Ptarmigan across its large distribution range that bear slight differences. In Iceland, Rock Ptarmigan’s meat is a popular part of festive meals, but hunting them is restricted to selected days to maintain their population.