Willow Ptarmigan
Adult male
Medium-sized stocky bird with a short tail and a short, stout bill. Breeding males have a red eyebrow, a chestnut neck, and a white belly.
© Mike V.A. Burrell | Macaulay LibraryOntario, June 22, 2013Nonbreeding adult
Males and females turn white in the winter and blend in with their snowy surroundings.
© John & Ivy Gibbons | Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, April 02, 2017Males
Calls include a low series of clucks that can accelerate into an odd nasal growl.
© Eric Liner | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 26, 2007Not all videos have soundAdult
This individual is molting into its white winter plumage. Its brown and rusty patches are being replaced by white feathers. Note feathered feet.
© France Desbiens | Macaulay LibraryManitoba, September 29, 2016Female
Medium-sized stocky bird with a short and stout bill. Females are mottled in brown, black, and white during the breeding season.
© Alex Lamoreaux | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, May 14, 2017Breeding male
Found in open tundra, especially in areas heavily vegetated with grasses, mosses, herbs, and shrubs.
© Zak Pohlen | Macaulay LibraryAlaska, May 27, 2017