Willow Ptarmigan Bird Picture: Scientific Name:
Lagopus lagopus
A Willow Ptarmigan is extremely hard to spot in this picture as he blends in with the icy tundra landscape near Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba. Foraging for food across the icy tundra is not an easy chore but during the summer this bird will find leaves and shoots on plants, preferably on the willow and birch trees, berries, seeds or insects.
During the winter season, the plumage on the Willow Ptarmigan turns snow white and for protection they will fly straight into snow banks to catch some sleep. This way there are no tracks left behind and the Willow Ptarmigan is safe from any predators. During the summer, the colors of the male bird changes so that it sports a reddish brown head and neck with a belly of white, speckled with...
... brown shades. The female is very similar in color except that she is more brown in colour and has less patches on white.
A Willow Ptarmigan is about the same size as that of a chicken belonging to the Grouse family. When nesting, both species of bird keep watch over their young which is an unusual trait in the grouse family.
When touring around Churchill, Manitoba in the winter and you see a white chicken like bird skeeter across the icy tundra, your best bet would be that it is a Willow Ptarmigan. If you are lucky, you may get close enough to one to capture a picture but do not venture near if they have their young with them. The Willow Ptarmigan values the responsibility of being a parent and will attack if they fear any harm may come to their young.
Willow Ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus, foraging in the tundra near Hudson Bay, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
The Willow Ptarmigan is a cold climate type of bird and loves to explore the icy tundra around Churchill, Manitoba in Canada.
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