Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus muta

Lives above treeline year-round, molting through three plumages a year. Your message survives the tundra in camouflage.

Population: Approximately 11.5–14.3 million mature individuals globally (BirdLife International, 2021 estimate; data quality rated "poor")
Habitat: Rocky, sparsely vegetated Arctic and alpine tundra and mountainsides, generally above the tree line; winters on brushy slopes near timberline
Fun fact: Rock Ptarmigans molt through three seasonal plumages a year, turning almost pure white in winter and mottled brown-and-grey in summer to stay camouflaged against changing tundra backdrops.
Range: Circumpolar Arctic and subarctic regions of North America (Greenland, Arctic Canada) and Eurasia (Iceland, Scandinavia through Siberia), with isolated relict alpine populations in Scotland, the Pyrenees, the Alps, Bulgaria, the Urals, the Pamirs, the Altai, and Japan
Diet: Herbivorous for most of the year — buds, catkins, twigs and leaves of willow, birch and dwarf shrubs in winter, and berries, seeds, and flowering plants in summer; chicks eat insects, spiders, and snails
Size: 0.35 m
Wingspan: 0.57 m
Lifespan: 6 years

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