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Field Guide for all the Birds of North America

Ptarmigans

Lagopèdes

Phasianidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

North American Bird Search Box

There are three types of ptarmigans found in North America. The Willow Ptarmigan and the Rock Ptarmigan cover all the northern ranges of Canada and Alaska. The White-tailed Ptarmigan lives only in the Rocky Mountains.

Ptarmigans live in the land of snow, preferring tundra and the tops of tall mountains for their habitat. They live above the treelines in the warmer months and move into the treelines in the colder months. They have some of the characteristics as other arctic animals, their plumage changes colour from darker colours to white plumage in the winter months to better blend in with the surrounding snow and to protect themselves from being easily noticed by predators. These hardy birds will bury themselves in the powder snow using this as a means of insulation and keeping warm in the extreme cold.

Click on bird images or pictures to see pictures of the Ptarmigans seen in North America

Rock Ptarmigan

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Willow Ptarmigan

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.

Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB