Bird of the Week – Rock Ptarmigan

We’ll close out this chicken series with one of the high altitude species in this family. Rock Ptarmigan are a close cousin of Willow Ptarmigan, but tend to be found at higher elevations. The black line from the bill through the eye is the surest way to tell the male Rock Ptarmigan from the male Willow Ptarmigan. The female molts sooner than the male; she will be hunkered down on eggs as soon as the snow is gone, relying on camouflage to conceal her and the eggs. This was one of the first photos WC took with a serious digital…