| Description - male:
Willow ptarmigan are fairly large birds, the size of a small
chicken. During the summer, the male has a chestnut brown head
and neck, with a mainly white belly splashed with brown. The
tail feathers are black and the eyebrows are red.
During the winter, the bird is entirely white but
for its black eyes, bill and outer tail. It also retains the
red eyebrow. The feet of the bird are heavily feathered and
act much like snow shoes.
Description - female:
The female is identical to the male in winter. During the
summer it is a mottled brown (less reddish than the male) with some
white on the belly.
|
Willow Ptarmigan (summer coloring)
photo taken by Bates Littlehales
|
