Stats

Lifespan

2-9 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Flock

Biome

Tundra

Range

Northern Hemisphere

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Uncommon

About

Willow Ptarmigan, also known as the willow grouse, is a bird that breeds in birch and other forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska, and Canada. The willow ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska and is known for its long tail feathers, which it raises high to scare off predators.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A large clutch of eggs sits in a shallow ground scrape, incubated by the hen until the brood hatches together.
2. 2.
   hatchling chick

   A downy chick leaves the nest within hours of hatching and pecks for food alongside the hen.
3. 3.
   juvenile

   A juvenile grows its first body feathers, learns to fly short bursts, and stays in the brood until fledged.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Galliformes

Family

Phasianidae

Genus

Lagopus

Species

Lagopus lagopus