Rock Ptarmigan | |
| This Rock Ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus, flew in and landed about 25 ' from me while I was hiking on Bird Ridge on May 26, 2002. We were just above the 3500' level on rocky terrain that was still covered with significant amounts of snow. | |
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| A closely related species, the Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is Alaska's State Bird. The Rock Ptarmigan is distinquished from it by the black line from the beak through the eye. Both species have white plummage in the winter and mottled brown or gray plummage in summer, but the rock ptarmigan tends to lose the winter plummage later than the willow. The ptarmigan genus is named Lagopus, "rabbit footed" for the furry feathers on its feet. The rock ptarmigan species name, mutus, refers to it's quiet (muted) call. As the pictured bird landed near me, it uttered a subdued, gutteral cooing sound. | |
Ptarmigan Links: Pictures of several male Lagopus mutus | |
