{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "rock-ptarmigan",
  "name": "Rock Ptarmigan",
  "scientificName": "Lagopus muta",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a small grouse of Arctic tundra and high mountains in North America, Europe and Asia. It changes plumage with the seasons: pure white in winter apart from a black tail, mottled brown and grey in summer. Feathered feet act like snowshoes. BirdLife estimates 11.5 to 14.3 million mature birds and lists it as Least Concern.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Three plumages a year",
      "body": "Rock ptarmigan moult several times a year to match their surroundings. In winter both sexes are white except for a black tail; males also have a black stripe from the bill through the eye. In summer they turn mottled brown, grey and black, with females more coarsely barred than males."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Built for cold",
      "body": "Thick feathers cover the legs and toes, spreading the bird's weight on snow and keeping its feet warm. In winter ptarmigan burrow into snow to roost out of the wind, and they feed on buds and twigs of dwarf willow and birch."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Where it lives",
      "body": "The species breeds around the Arctic, in Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia and Siberia, and on high mountains further south, including the Scottish Highlands, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the mountains of Japan."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Status",
      "body": "BirdLife International lists the rock ptarmigan as Least Concern (2025), estimating 11.5 to 14.3 million mature birds; the trend is unknown. Warming that shrinks alpine habitat is a concern for southern mountain populations."
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Why do ptarmigan turn white?",
      "answer": "For camouflage. White winter plumage hides them on snow, and brown summer plumage blends with rocks and tundra."
    },
    {
      "question": "What is the difference between rock and willow ptarmigan?",
      "answer": "Rock ptarmigan are slightly smaller, with a thinner bill, and winter males have a black stripe through the eye. Willow ptarmigan prefer lower, shrubbier habitats."
    },
    {
      "question": "Where can you see rock ptarmigan in the UK?",
      "answer": "Only on the high tops of the Scottish Highlands, where they are called simply 'ptarmigan'."
    },
    {
      "question": "How do you pronounce ptarmigan?",
      "answer": "TAR-mi-gun. The 'p' is silent; it was added to the Gaelic name 'tàrmachan' in the 17th century."
    }
  ],
  "sourceUpdate": null,
  "evidence": [],
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Galliformes",
    "family": "Phasianidae",
    "genus": "Lagopus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.54,
    "lengthM": 0.38,
    "topSpeedKmh": 0,
    "lifespanYears": 2
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Lagopus muta"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Buds, leaves, catkins, berries and seeds; insects for chicks"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Arctic tundra and rocky mountain slopes above the tree line"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "33–41 cm (13–16 in)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Average about 535 g"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Typically about 2 years (UK ringing data)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Arctic tundra of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia and Siberia, and high mountains including the Scottish Highlands, Alps, Pyrenees and Japan.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "Europe",
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.",
      "url": "https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/rock-ptarmigan-lagopus-muta"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web: Lagopus muta. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lagopus_muta/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "BTO BirdFacts: Ptarmigan. British Trust for Ornithology.",
      "url": "https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/ptarmigan"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.",
      "url": "https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/rock-ptarmigan/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/rock-ptarmigan/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}