Rock Ptarmigan

arctic bird · master of disguise · game bird

Winter white coat. Rock ptarmigans grow thick white feathers when snow covers their habitat, making them nearly invisible against the white landscape. In spring and summer, they molt into brown and speckled feathers to blend in with rocks and plants.

Lives in cold places. These medium-sized grouse live in the chilly mountains and arctic regions of Europe, Asia, Canada, and Japan, where other birds struggle to survive.

Mountain dweller. Rock ptarmigans make their homes high up in rocky, windswept mountains where few trees grow and the weather is harsh and unpredictable.

Canadian symbol. The rock ptarmigan is the official bird of Nunavut, a huge Canadian territory in the Arctic, where it is called the aqiggiq.

Thunder bird in Japan. In Japan, people call the rock ptarmigan the raichō, which means 'thunder bird,' and it is protected by law in three mountain prefectures.