Ptarmigan, << TAHR muh guhn, >> is the name of a group of birds that live in northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere, such as Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and Greenland. A ptarmigan can be recognized by the covering of short feathers on its feet. These feathers help it to travel across the snow. In winter, its feathers are white, and the bird often hides in snowbanks for protection. In summer, its feathers are reddish-brown and black. Ptarmigans build their nests on the ground. The nest is lined with grass or leaves. The females lay from 4 to 15 eggs. The eggs may be cream colored or red and are covered with black or dark brown spots.
Three kinds of ptarmigans live in North America. They are the white-tailed ptarmigan, the rock ptarmigan, and the willow ptarmigan. The white-tailed ptarmigan lives in the Rocky Mountains from central Alaska to New Mexico. The rock ptarmigan lives in the Arctic from the Aleutian Islands to Greenland. The willow ptarmigan makes its home in the Arctic, in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and in northern Europe and Siberia. The willow ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska.
See also Bird (Birds of the Arctic).
