Willow grouse, Red grouse
The Willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium ground-dwelling bird of the arctic tundra. It is the state bird of Alaska. It breeds in birch and other forests and moorlands and has several behavioral and physiological adaptations that help it survive the long Arctic winter.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Serial monogamySerial monogamy is a mating system in which a pair bonds only for one breeding season.
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Willow ptarmigan is deep-chested and has a fairly long neck, a broad bill, short feathered legs and a moderately short rounded tail. In the summer, the male's plumage is marbled brown, with a reddish hue to the neck and breast, a black tail and white wings and underparts. It has a red semicircular comb above each eye, which become red and prominent in the breeding season. The female is similar in appearance but with much smaller eye combs and has brown feathers scattered among the white feathers on her belly. During winter, the body plumage and two central tail feathers of both sexes becomes completely white, except for the black outer rectrices. Their wing feathers remain white all year round. Immature birds resemble the adults.
Willow ptarmigan are native to Canada and the United States, China, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. They are sedentary and primarily occupy subalpine and subarctic habitats such as sparse pine and birch forests, thickets with willow and alder trees, heather moors, taiga, tundra, and mountain slopes. In the winter, females and sub-adults may move to lower altitudes and seek shelter in valleys or more densely vegetated areas, but adult males usually remain in the subalpine region.
Willow ptarmigan are gregarious birds and after the breeding season families begin to form flocks. The females and young migrate to lower altitudes and may overwinter 100 miles (160 km) from their breeding grounds in wooded valleys and hilly country. The males also congregate in small groups but do not usually travel as far as the females. Willow ptarmigan forage early in the morning and in the afternoon, often in flocks; they walk quietly and pick at vegetation, plucking berries, or gleaning insects. In the summer, they may feed throughout the day. To communicate with each other Willow ptarmigan use various vocalizations. Their voice is low-pitched and guttural and includes chuckles, repeated clucking sounds, and expostulations. When displaying, males make rattles and barking noises.
Willow ptarmigan are herbivores (folivores, granivores). They eat leaves, flowers, buds, seeds, and berries during the summer and largely feed on the buds and twigs of willow and other dwarf shrubs and trees during the winter. Chicks consume mainly insects and spiders but later begin to eat more plant matter.
Willow ptarmigan are serially monogamous and form pair bonds that last only during one breeding season. However, some males may be polygynous and mate with several females. Males arrive in the breeding areas and set up territories in April and May, aggressively defending them against male interlopers. When the females arrive a few weeks later, the male performs courtship displays such as aerial maneuvers, strutting, and tail-fanning. When she has chosen a mate and a nesting site, the female lays a clutch of 6 to 10 eggs in a shallow depression on the ground. The nest site is usually in a hidden location at the edge of a clearing. The female incubates alone for 21-22 days but all the time she is guarded by the male. Chicks are born precocial (fully developed) and leave the nest the same day they hatch. In most other species of grouse, only the female takes care of the young, but the male Willow ptarmigan also helps with feeding the brood and protecting them. He may take over completely if the female dies. The chicks fledge within 10-12 days after hatching and become independent from their parents by 5-7 months of age.
Willow ptarmigan are widespread throughout their wide range. However, these birds are vulnerable to hunting, climate change, severe weather, and collisions with powerlines.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Willow ptarmigan is more than around 40,000,000 individuals. The European population consists of 1,010,000-2,150,000 pairs, which equates to 2,020,000-4,310,000 mature individuals. The breeding population in Russia consists of around 100,000-1 million breeding pairs. Overall, currently, Willow ptarmigan are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but their numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...