Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus mutus

Rock Ptarmigan. Photo:David R. Gray, Canadian Museum of Nature

This northern bird acquires a white body in winter, maintaining only a black tail tip and black beak. In addition, red eye combs, which can be exposed or retracted, are used to show agression or for courtship. In summer, the rock ptarmigan assumes a mottled gray-brown coloration. By changing colour with the seasons, ptarmigan and other northern birds are able to camoflague themselves as their environments change.

Distribution of Rock Ptarmigan in Canada