The willow ptarmigan (scientific name: Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family, with short rounded wings, 3>4>2>5>6>1, 3rd and 4th wings The flight feathers are the longest, the first one is shorter than the second one; except for the first one, the bases of the primary flight feathers are notched; there are 16 tail feathers, the tail length is moderate, the end is slightly rounded, and the central tail feather is slightly higher than the other tail feathers; The axillary feathers are very long; the winter feathers of males and females are mostly white; the tarsus is feathered to the toes, and the toes are bare in summer, with only short and irregular hairs. The winter feathers of both males and females are white, only the tail feathers are black, the feathers of the flight feathers are also black, and the tarsus is feathered to the toes. The body plumage is changeable in other seasons, but most of them are chestnut brown or brownish yellow, with various dark markings and spots. It is a typical frigid bird, mainly distributed in the northern part of Eurasia to Mongolia, Ussuri and Sakhalin Island.

Basic Information

The grouse family is a medium-sized bird. It has been listed as China's second-level key protected wildlife.

Bird introduction

The willow ptarmigan is a grouse family. The male bird is about 33 cm long, and the feather color varies in winter and summer. It is found throughout the boreal and cold temperate regions of Eurasia and northern America, living in forests or open woodlands, tundra and other habitats.

Grouse birds are similar to Phasianidae in many aspects such as body shape and basic moulting sequence, and some ornithologists even think that they should belong to a subfamily of Phasianidae. The grouse also has its own characteristics in morphology. The nostrils are covered with feathers, the tarsus is generally feathered, without spacing, and there are comb-like edges on both sides of the toes in winter, which helps them to climb branches and walk in the snow; another Characteristic is that many species have combs on the eyes, which are red or bright yellow, especially in males during the breeding season.

The feathers are mainly chestnut brown in summer, with embroidered brown horizontal spots and white fine margins on the back, shoulders, waist and tail, and white wings and abdomen. The male has a black head and neck, and the rest of the upper body is pale yellow with brown horizontal spots. The winter feathers of this bird are white except for the top and outer tail feathers, which are black. Although this bird is good at walking and flying quickly, it cannot fly far. The staple food is tree buds and seeds, and it rarely eats insects. It is a unique bird in Heilongjiang Province, distributed in the Heilongjiang River Basin.

Characteristics

The summer willow ptarmigan The summer willow ptarmigan is 36-40 cm long. The plumage on the upper body, throat and chest is dark brown in summer with irregular brownish-yellow horizontal spots. Below the abdomen is white. The wing feathers are white, the tail is dark brown, and the central pair of tail feathers are white. Feet and toes are covered with white feathers. The female has a dark brown upper body with pale yellow spots and white feather tips. The lower body is brownish-yellow with black-brown horizontal spots, and the abdomen is scattered with white spots. Feet and toes are covered with white feathers. Both female and male birds are white in winter, only the tail feathers are black, and the shafts of the wing feathers are also black.

The willow ptarmigan is a representative bird in the boreal forest. It usually inhabits the tundra, dwarf willow bushes, birch forests, pine forests and other areas in the boreal and northern subarctic zones. It mainly feeds on leaves, buds and twigs of plants. Medium sized (38 cm) solid grouse. In summer, the upper part of the plumage of the male bird's body is dark brown (with irregular brown-yellow horizontal spots) and the lower part is white; the wing feathers are white; the black-brown tail has a pair of white tail feathers in the center; The feet are also covered with white feathers. The upper part of the feathers of the female bird's body is dark brown (with light yellow spots on it), and the feather tip is white; the lower part is dirty yellow. In autumn, the upper body plumage of both males and females turns brownish-yellow chestnut with black markings, and the chest and abdomen are replaced by white feathers. In winter, the whole body feathers of both males and females turn white, only the tail and flight feathers are black. The irises inside the eyes of the willow ptarmigan are brown; the beak is black; and the claws are also black. The red eyebrow tumor is often visible in all seasons.

In summer, the male's body feathers are dark-brown on the upper part (with irregular brown-yellow horizontal spots) and white on the lower part; wing feathers are white; black-brown The tail has a pair of white tail feathers in the center; the feet are also covered with white feathers. The upper part of the feathers of the female bird's body is dark brown (with light yellow spots on it), and the feather tip is white; the lower part is dirty yellow. In autumn, the upper body plumage of both males and females turns brownish-yellow chestnut with black markings, and the chest and abdomen are replaced by white feathers. In winter, the whole body feathers of both males and females turn white, only the tail and flight feathers are black.

Geographical distribution

The winter willow ptarmigan subspecies okadai is extremely rare in willow bushes along the Heilongjiang River in the far northeast of China. There are currently 2 species in China, while the white-tailed ptarmigan is only distributed in North America. The willow ptarmigan is distributed all over the world in the northern part of the Old World and the New World. There are 19 subspecies, and it is an important hunting bird in foreign countries. In China, the willow ptarmigan was only thought to be distributed in the Heilongjiang River basin in the past, and it has recently been reported to be distributed in the Altai Mountains of Xinjiang.

The willow ptarmigan lives in tundra, tundra scrub forests and rocky meadows near the Arctic and is very hardy. Likes to be active in the woods, sometimes to the farmland. In addition to the breeding season, most of them live in groups, and in winter they can even reach more than 100. Wide range of activities and long distance migrations in winter. Willow ptarmigan is a typical frigid bird. The habitat also changes with the seasons. In summer and autumn, it inhabits young birch forests, mossy swamps with massive pine forests, birch-dominated mixed forests, or small pieces of broad-leaved forest near cultivated land, and is also found in some shrubs. In winter it inhabits willow bushes and small forest patches along rivers. It is a typical herbivorous bird and rarely eats insects. But the plants they eat also change with the seasons. They eat plant buds and twigs in winter and early spring, green leaves in summer, and grass seeds and berries in late summer and autumn. Plants are mainly birch, poplar, willow and so on.

Habits

The winter willow ptarmigan lives in tundra near the Arctic, tundra scrub forests and rocky meadows, and is very hardy. Likes to be active in the woods, sometimes to the farmland. In addition to the breeding season, most of them live in groups, and in winter they can even reach more than 100. Wide range of activities and long distance migrations in winter.

Due to the long-term life in ice and snow, the willow ptarmigan has developed a series of characteristics adapted to the tundra, such as the thick and long hair on the legs, covering all the way to the toes; This not only keeps warm, but also facilitates walking on the snow without sagging; the nostrils are covered with feathers, which can withstand arctic storms and are also conducive to pecking food from the snow. The willow ptarmigan has a stout and short beak, and is good at digging and feeding on rhizomes under the snow, and it eats almost exclusively plant food. The willow ptarmigan moults in all seasons. After marriage and before winter, male birds completely replace their summer and winter feathers with new ones, while spring and autumn feathers are only partially replaced; female birds moult three times a year and do not moult before marriage. The winter plumage of the willow ptarmigan is the same as the silver dress of the earth, and the female and male are all white. The head, neck and thorax of spring males are also replaced by spring plumage with chestnut-brown horizontal spots. Male birds also have the habit of changing marriage feathers before breeding, using gorgeous feathers to win the favor of female birds. In summer, the upper body of the willow ptarmigan is changed to dark brown with tan markings. When the vegetation turns yellow in autumn, the feathers change to yellow chestnut.

Growth and reproduction

Willow ptarmigan is a typical herbivorous bird and rarely eats insects. It is mainly the buds, twigs, young leaves, tidbits, seeds and fruits of various birch, willow, poplar and other trees. It eats buds and twigs of plants in winter and spring, green leaves in summer, and grass seeds and berries in autumn.

Restrous between April and May. The breeding season of the willow ptarmigan is from May to July. Before mating, the males will show off their performances and make courtship calls in the territory they occupy, attracting females to come and mate. The nest is placed among the grass on the ground, which is a shallow hole, and is covered with a small amount of dead branches, grass leaves, leaves, feathers, etc. One litter is produced per year, and the number of eggs in a clutch is usually 7.