Ptarmigan, close relatives of forest and prairie grouse, live in alpine and arctic tundras throughout the northern hemisphere. There are three kinds of ptarmigan, and all are found in Alaska. Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) are found nearly everywhere in Alaska’s high, treeless country. They occupy a broad range throughout Canada, Scandinavia, Finland and Russia. The famous Red Grouse of Scotland is a race of the Willow Ptarmigan. Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) also live in Canada, Scandinavia, Scotland, and northern Eurasia. They range through most of Greenland and Iceland and have scattered southern outposts in Japan, Switzerland, and Spain. In Alaska, Rock Ptarmigan live in all major treeless areas except the flat tundras of the western and northern coasts. White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) are strictly North American. They occupy rugged uplands from the Alaska Range and central Yukon southward to Washington and northern New Mexico. General description: Ptarmigan look just like small grouse, weighing from 10 1/2 ounces to 1 1/2 pounds (0.3-0.7 kg) except that their toes are feathered, their wings are white all year, and they have pure white body plumage in winter.
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