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Willow Grouse
last update: Apr 01, 2009 03:39 PM
Also known as the Willow Ptarmigan
Latin name: Lagopus lagopus
Population: 37 million individuals
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: Circumpolar across Eurasia as far north as the northern shore and across North America to northern coasts of Alaska and Canada
Age/ life expectancy: 7 years
Wingspan: 55-65 cm
Length: 35-40 cm
Weight: 500-700 g
Mating/Breeding: The male guards the female while she selects a spot on the ground in a meadow or rocky area where she scrapes the ground and pulls vegetation around her in a rim. She keeps adding to this rim until she begins to incubate the eggs, at which point, the male ceases to guard her. Within 6-12 hours of hatching, the female leads her clutch of 4-8 chicks to food sources where they are able to feed themselves. They do not return to the nest.
Eggs: 6-9 pale yellow eggs blotched dark brown
Hibernation: non-migratory except in Russia where birds migrate south in the winter
Hunting Habits: ground foraging
Feed on: buds and catkins from the Arctic Willow, as well as any available berries
Predators: foxes, lynx, wolves, and martens
Colour/Body: The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan is pure white in the winter, and streaked brown and gray during the summer. The tail remains white throughout the year.
Interesting Trivia:
- The Willow Ptarmigan is the only grouse in the world in which the male is regularly involved in parental care. Pairs remain together from the beginning of the breeding season until their chicks are independent.
