"been allowed again since 2005, but is restricted to selected days, which are revised yearly and all trade of rock ptarmigan is illegal. In Thomas Bewick's ""A History of British Birds"" (1797) the species is named as ""White Grouse"" with alternatives ""White Game, or Ptarmigan"". The birds feed, records Bewick, ""on the wild productions of the hills, which sometimes give the flesh a bitter, but not unpalatable taste: it is dark coloured, and has somewhat the flavour of the hare."" Rock ptarmigan The rock ptarmigan (') is a medium-sized gamebird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the"
"seeds and berries during the summer and largely subsisting on the buds and twigs of willow and other dwarf shrubs and trees during the winter. The willow ptarmigan is a medium to large ground-dwelling bird and is the most numerous of the three species of ptarmigan. Males and females are about the same size, the adult length varying between with a wingspan ranging from . The weight is . It is deep-chested and has a fairly long neck, a broad bill, short feathered legs and a moderately short rounded tail. In the summer, the male's plumage is marbled brown, with"
"term is of feminine gender, and the specific epithet has to agree with that, the feminine ""muta"" and ""leucura"" are correct. The English name ""ptarmigan"" comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for the bird, , whose origin is unknown. The p- was added due to a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if the word were related to the Greek word (""pterón""), 'wing'. The three species are all sedentary specialists of cold regions. Willow ptarmigan is a circumpolar boreal forest species, white-tailed ptarmigan is a North American alpine bird, and rock ptarmigan breeds in both Arctic and mountain habitats"
"wings, square-ended tail, small black beak and short legs with feathering extending to the toes. Adults are long, with the males being only slightly larger than the females. The average weight is . During the summer, the white-tailed ptarmigan is a speckled grayish brown with white underparts, tail and wings. In the fall, the plumage has turned a much more reddish-brown color and white feathers begin to grow through. By winter all the summer brown feathers are lost and the bird is completely white. A further molt in the spring precedes the breeding season and the bird returns to its"
"entry into the respiratory tract. The most obvious adaptation is this bird's cryptic coloration, which enables it to blend in with its environment and avoid predation by golden eagles or other birds of prey. To conserve energy during the winter months, the ptarmigan avoids flight as much as possible and roosts in snowbanks. The white-tailed ptarmigan is listed as being of ""Least Concern"" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This is because, although populations may be in slight decline, its range is too wide and the total number of birds too large to fit the criteria for being"
"mating success. The rock ptarmigan becomes sexually mature at six months of age and commonly has up to six chicks. Because of this high breeding rate, the size of the population is affected very little by factors such as hunting. The ptarmigan's genus name, ""Lagopus"", is derived from Ancient Greek ""lagos"" (λαγώς ""lagṓs""), meaning ""hare"", + ""pous"" (πούς ""poús""), ""foot"", in reference to the bird's feathered legs. The species name, ""muta"", comes from New Latin and means ""mute"", referring to the simple croaking song of the male. It was for a long time misspelt ""mutus"", in the erroneous belief that"
"summer plumage. The finely-barred greyish coloration on the back makes it easy to distinguish this species from the much browner willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan. Both sexes maintain white tail and wing feathers all the year and males can be identified by their reddish eyecombs (fleshy growths above the eye), also present year-long. In general this bird is silent but it sometimes makes quiet, low-pitched hoots and soft clucking noises. The white-tailed ptarmigan is an alpine species, a permanent resident of the high mountains above or near the timber line. It occupies open country and flies a great deal more"
"ptarmigan by about 10%. The male's ""song"" is a loud croaking. The rock ptarmigan is seasonally camouflaged; its feathers moult from white in winter to brown in spring or summer. The breeding male has greyish upper parts with white wings and under parts. In winter, its plumage becomes completely white except for the black tail. It can be distinguished from the winter willow ptarmigan by habitat—the rock ptarmigan prefers higher elevations and more barren habitat; it is also smaller with a more delicate bill. The rock ptarmigan is a sedentary species which breeds across arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North"
"cover. The white-tailed ptarmigan was introduced into the Sierra Nevada of California, Wallowa Mountains in Oregon, and Uinta Mountains of Utah in the 1970s. It may have been native here during the early Pleistocene but became locally extinct due to climate changes with greater snow-cover in spring impacting on its breeding season. Alternatively, it may have been unable to colonize the Sierra Nevada because of the barriers provided by the Columbia River and the Great Basin, and the low altitudes of the intervening South Cascades. This herbivorous bird's diet varies seasonally. Nitrogen-rich snow buttercup leaves are favored in the spring"
"of seabirds (puffin, cormorant and great black-backed gull) and waterfowl (mallard, greylag goose and pink-footed goose). The meat of some seabirds contains fish oil. It is placed in a bowl of milk overnight to extract the oil before cooking. Ptarmigan is also found in Iceland, but hunting of them has been banned because of dramatically declining stocks since the late 20th century. Ptarmigan, served with a creamy sauce and jam, has been a traditional Christmas main course in many Icelandic households. Seal hunting, especially the more common harbor seal, was common everywhere farmers had access to seal breeding grounds. Seal"
"is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of ""Least Concern"". The white-tailed ptarmigan was given the scientific"
"and development of the chicks. This suggests that the hens' food calls assist in enhancing survival rates of juvenile ptarmigans. The young birds remain with their mother throughout the summer and autumn season. The white-tailed ptarmigan is well-camouflaged when on the ground. In his pioneering 1909 book on the subject, ""Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom"", the American artist Abbott Thayer wrote: The white-tailed ptarmigan has feathers located on its feet to serve as protection from the extreme cold often experienced in the alpine tundra environment. In addition, these birds have feathers around their nostrils to warm the air prior to"
"they may switch to favoring juvenile ptarmigan. They are opportunistic hunters and prey species may vary considerably, especially in winter. They feed on a wide variety of small mammals such as meadow voles and deer mice, but will take advantage of larger prey, frequently following traplines to find food. Some of the larger mammal prey includes hares, muskrats, marmots, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, prairie dogs, rats, moles and entrapped furbearers. Birds preyed upon include ptarmigan, ducks, geese, shorebirds, pheasants, grouse, coots, grebes, gulls, songbirds, and even other raptors, including other owl species. Most of the owls' hunting is done in the"
"the ending of ""Lagopus"" denotes masculine gender. However, as the Ancient Greek term λαγώπους ""lagṓpous"" is of feminine gender, and the species name has to agree with that, the feminine ""muta"" is correct. The word ptarmigan comes from the Scottish Gaelic ""tàrmachan"", literally croaker. The silent initial p was added in 1684 by Robert Sibbald through the influence of Greek, especially ""pteron"" (πτερόν ""pterón""), ""wing"", ""feather"", or ""pinion"". Rock ptarmigan meat is a popular part of festive meals in Icelandic cuisine. Hunting of rock ptarmigans was banned in Iceland in 2003 and 2004 due to its declining population. Hunting has"
"willow ptarmigan, the female takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks, as is typical with gamebirds. The distinctive British form of willow ptarmigan, the red grouse (""Lagopus lagopus scotica"") has sometimes been considered a separate species, ""L. scotica"", but this is no longer accepted. Two prehistoric species and two paleosubspecies are only known from fossils: Lagopus Lagopus is a small genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains three living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas. The genus name ""Lagopus"" is derived from"
"for brief flights. They are well adapted to winter by growing feather “snowshoes” on their feet and roosting beneath the snow. They range in size from the 13-inch white-tailed ptarmigan to the 28-inch sage grouse. Their plumage is dense and soft and is most commonly found in shades of red, brown, and gray to camouflage to the ground. They are polygamous and male courtship behavior includes strutting and dancing and aggressive fighting for possession of females. The typical clutch size is between seven and 12 eggs. Turkeys Family Meleagrididae Turkeys are large, long-legged birds that can grow up to four"
"listed as ""Vulnerable"". This bird serves as an indicator species for the alpine tundra, and denotes overall ecosystem health. It is not a conservation concern and is abundant in alpine zones across North America, indicating that this region is not undergoing dramatic climatic, temperature, or precipitation shifts. The lack of overgrazing by cattle, the lack of human development in alpine zones, the difficulty in accessing its remote habitat, the low densities at which it occurs and the laws regarding the limits to hunting bags allow the white-tailed ptarmigan to thrive. White-tailed ptarmigan The white-tailed ptarmigan (""Lagopus leucura""), also known as"
"ptarmigans Genus ""Tetrao"" – black grouse Genus ""Tetrastes"" Genus ""Bonasa"" Genus ""Centrocercus"" – sage grouse Genus ""Tympanuchus"" – prairie grouse Grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are frequently assigned to the subfamily Tetraoninae (sometimes Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondrial DNA sequence studies, and applied by the American Ornithologists' Union, ITIS, and others. Grouse inhabit temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from pine forests to moorland and mountainside, from 83°N (rock ptarmigan in northern Greenland) to 28°N (Attwater's prairie chicken in Texas). Grouse are heavily built like other"
"a range of lower plant species. It is also believed that the greening of parts of the Arctic is affecting Willow Ptarmigan populations by altering the shape and size of the shrubs they are able to feed on. Male willow ptarmigans are territorial birds. Males arrive in the breeding areas and set up territories in April and May, aggressively defending them against male interlopers. When the females arrive a few weeks later, the male performs courtship displays such as aerial manoeuvres, strutting and tail-fanning. When she has chosen a mate and a nesting site, the female lays a clutch of"
"a reddish hue to the neck and breast, a black tail and white wings and underparts. It has two inconspicuous wattles above the eyes, which become red and prominent in the breeding season. The female is similar in appearance but lacks the wattles and has brown feathers scattered among the white feathers on the belly. During winter, the plumage of both sexes becomes completely white, except for some black feathers in the tail. Immature birds resemble the adults. The willow ptarmigan can be distinguished from the closely related rock ptarmigan (""Lagopus muta"") by its larger size and thicker bill and"
"reddish brown all over, except for its white feet. The voice is low-pitched and guttural and includes chuckles, repeated clucking sounds, expostulations. When displaying, the male makes rattles and barking noises. The willow ptarmigan's scientific name, ""Lagopus lagopus"" is derived from Ancient Greek ""lagos"" (λαγως) ""hare"" + ""pous"" (πους) ""foot"", in reference to the bird's feathered feet which allow it to negotiate frozen ground. Nineteen subspecies have been recognised though some are believed not to be valid. Most differ little in appearance, though the red grouse ""(L. l. scoticus)"" is rather distinct. The taxonomy is confused, partly because of the"
"the way they browse, Ptarmigan help shape the landscape of the area. After heavy snowfalls, the birds cannot access the shorter shrubs as they are blanketed with snow, so they will eat the taller species that poke through. In one study it was found that 90% of the buds of the Alaska willow within their reach had been browsed. This will stunt the willows and create a feedback cycle extending through the entire ecosystem. However, in winters with below average snowfall, the browsing of Ptarmigans will not have such a drastic effect as their feeding will be spread out across"
"they may take off in a flurry and go into a long glide. Most species stay within their breeding range all year, but make short seasonal movements; many individuals of the ptarmigan (called rock ptarmigan in the US) and willow grouse (called willow ptarmigan in the US) migrate hundreds of kilometers. In all but one species (the willow ptarmigan), males are polygamous. Many species have elaborate courtship displays on the ground at dawn and dusk, which in some are given in leks. The displays feature males' brightly colored combs and in some species, brightly colored inflatable sacs on the sides"
"in favourable seasons, many juveniles may survive and the population of willow ptarmigan is prone to wide fluctuations in size. By September, families begin to form flocks. The females and young migrate to lower altitudes and may overwinter from their breeding grounds in wooded valleys and hilly country. The males also congregate in small groups but do not usually travel as far as the females. The willow ptarmigan was adopted as the state bird of Alaska in 1955. Widespread and not uncommon in its remote habitat, the willow ptarmigan is classified as a species of ""Least Concern"" by the IUCN."
"to hatch. Males remain in the vicinity of the nest until the eggs hatch, a period of about 23 days. The precocial young leave the nest six to twelve hours after hatching. They are at first covered with down but become fully fledged in seven to ten days. Ptarmigan chicks begin their lives eating insects. Once the chicks' digestive tracts and ceca are more fully developed, their diets shift to one of flowers and leaves. Hens choose foraging patches where plant species containing proteins are abundant. The hens call their chicks to these plants, which are critical for the growth"
"season, while willow catkins, mountain avens flowers, and chickweed blooms, other flowers and leaves, lichens and berries form the majority of the ptarmigan's diet in the summer. Once fall and winter arrive in the region, the ptarmigan feeds on pine needles, seeds, willow and alder buds and twigs. Winter food sources have a much higher cellulose content than does summer forage, so the ptarmigan relies on bacteria-aided digestion in the cecum to extract essential nutrients. During the summer, the ptarmigan eats grit to assist in digesting plant material. White-tailed ptarmigan males are usually monogamous and remain with the same mate"
"Caprimulgiformes The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution (except Antarctica). They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal. The order gets its name from the Latin for ""goat-milker"", an old name based on an erroneous view of the European nightjar's feeding habits. The classification of the various birds that make up the order has long been controversial and difficult, particularly in the case of the nightjars. Most taxonomists consider the following families, but some may be polyphenetic in their own distinct orders: Traditionally, they were regarded, on morphological grounds, as being midway between"
"earlier (Pliocene) ""Lagopus atavus"" into the present-day species ""L. lagopus"". Pleistocene willow ptarmigan are recorded from diverse sites until the end of the Vistulian glaciation about 10,000 years ago, when the species, by then all but identical with the living birds, retreated northwards with its tundra habitat. The willow ptarmigan has a circum-boreal distribution. It is native to Canada and the United States, China, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain. It primarily occupies subalpine and subarctic habitats such as sparse pine and birch forests, thickets"
"area of mountains in a maritime climate at 57 degrees north. The climate is projected to warm and precipitation patterns to change under present climate change models. This is an over-riding concern for the long-term conservation of this area. Ptarmigan has been considered as an indicator species for this process, although the natural population cycles of this bird do not seem to have been disrupted as yet. Other man-made threats include the problems of popularity in a country with limited wilderness resources and a large, relatively affluent urban population. These include various types of recreation and the associated trampling damage"
"Pomatorhinus Pomatorhinus is a genus of scimitar babblers, jungle birds with long downcurved bills. These are birds of tropical Asia, with the greatest number of species occurring in hills of the Himalayas. These are medium-sized, floppy-tailed landbirds with soft plumage. They are typically long-tailed, dark brown above, and white or orange-brown below. Many have striking head patterns, with a broad black band through the eye, bordered with white above and below. They have strong legs and are quite terrestrial. Like other babblers, these are noisy birds, and the characteristic bubbling calls are often the best indication that these birds are"
"Pfrimer's parakeet The Pfrimer's parakeet (""Pyrrhura pfrimeri""), in aviculture also known as Pfrimer's conure, is a species of parrot in the family ""Psittacidae"". It is endemic to Goiás and Tocantins in Brazil. It is restricted to dry deciduous and semi-deciduous Caatinga forest. It is one of two endemic species to Cerrado, Brazil. It has often been considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet, as ""Pyrrhura leucotis pfrimeri"". The split was based on range, differences in habitat and distinctive differences in plumage (it is the only member of the ""P. leucotis"" complex where the pale patch on the ear-coverts is greatly"
"Parrotfinch Parrotfinches are small, colourful passerine birds belonging to the genus Erythrura in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finches. They occur from South-east Asia to New Guinea, northern Australia and many Pacific Islands. They inhabit forest, bamboo thickets and grassland and some can be found in man-made habitats such as farmland, parks and gardens. Several species are commonly kept as cagebirds. They are 9 to 15 cm long. The plumage is usually mainly green. Most species have blue or red markings on the head and a red rump and tail. The tail is pointed and often fairly long. Seeds, especially"
"range, but is easily overlooked, in part due to its insect- or frog-like voice. The short-tailed pygmy tyrant is truly a pygmy of a bird, with only a handful of the most lilliputian hummingbirds measuring smaller. The average length is and the weight averages at . While the bill (though slender) is disproportionately large for the size of the bird, the tail is practically non-existent. The head is gray with blackish lores and stand-out white ""spectacles"". The back is bright olive-green, and the bar-less wings and tail are both black. The underside is yellow-tinged white, with light olive smudges on"