A female Ptarmigan ~ Lagopus muta ~

A female Ptarmigan ~ Lagopus muta ~ in summer plumage on a lava field in the uplands of Iceland. Found in arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America.

The Ptarmigan or Rock Ptarmigan female summer dress varies but is paler yellowish grey with more irregular speckled markings than the willow grouse, with large dark mantle patches and an uneven transition to the paler belly. In autumn the sexes are similarly coloured and in winter the plumage of both sexes is white. The female's note is a low 'kuck'. In the nesting season they usually occur far above the tree line in scree and boulder country, and are often relatively unafraid and even obtrusive when the young are nearby. Feeds on insects, berries and buds, but the chicks depend on insects, so persistent rain and cold in early summer much reduce the species. Also Lagopus mutus. Conservation status of least concern.