Rock ptarmigan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rock ptarmigan
A pair in spring plumage in Norway
Display song,
Glenshee
, Scotland

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Lagopus
Species:
L. muta
Binomial name
Lagopus muta
(Montin, 1781)[2][3]
Subspecies

some 20–30, including:

  • L. m. muta (Montin, 1781)
    Scandinavian ptarmigan
  • L. m. rupestris (Gmelin, 1789)
    Canadian rock ptarmigan
  • L. m. helvetica (Thienemann, 1829)
    Alpine ptarmigan
  • L. m. japonica H. L. Clark, 1907
    Japanese ptarmigan
  • L. m. millaisi Hartert, 1923
    Scottish ptarmigan
  • L. m. hyperborea
    Sundevall
    , 1845
    Svalbard ptarmigan
Rock Ptarmigan range[1]
Synonyms
  • Tetrao mutus Montin, 1781
  • Lagopus mutus (lapsus, see below)
MHNT

The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut,[4] where it is known as the aqiggiq (ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ), and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.[5] In Japan, it is known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird". It is the official bird of Gifu, Nagano, and Toyama Prefectures[6] and is a protected species nationwide. Unlike many arctic bird species, ptarmigan do not gain substantial mass to hibernate over winter.

Etymology

The ptarmigan's genus name, Lagopus, is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγώς lagṓs), meaning "hare", + pous (πούς poús), "foot", in reference to the bird's feathered legs.[7]

The species name, muta, comes from Neo-Latin and means "mute", referring to the simple croaking song of the male.[7] It was for a long time misspelt mutus, in the erroneous belief that the ending of Lagopus denotes masculine gender. However, as the Ancient Greek term λαγώπους lagṓpous is of feminine gender, and the species name has to agree with that, the feminine muta is correct.[8]

The word ptarmigan comes from the Scottish Gaelic tarmachan, meaning croaker. The silent initial p was added in 1684 by Robert Sibbald through the influence of Greek, especially pteron (πτερόν pterón), "wing", "feather", or "pinion".[9]

Description

The rock ptarmigan is 34–36 cm (13–14 in) long with an 8 cm (3.1 in) tail and with a wingspan of 54–60 cm (21–24 in)[10] and a weight of 440–640 g (15+1⁄2–22+1⁄2 oz).[11] It is smaller than the willow ptarmigan by about ten percent.[10]

The rock ptarmigan is seasonally

moult from white in winter to brown in spring or summer. The breeding male has greyish upper parts with white wings and under parts. In winter, its plumage becomes completely white except for the black outer tail feathers and eye line. It can be distinguished from the winter willow ptarmigan
by habitat and markings—the rock ptarmigan prefers higher elevations and more barren habitat. It also has a slender bill and a black eye stripe, which is absent in the willow ptarmigan.

Taxonomy

The rock ptarmigan has 23 recognized subspecies:[12]

Sounds and displays

Male rock ptarmigans emit a repertoire of guttural snores and rattles, most often directed to other males during breeding season. On open leks, single or multiple males also carry out displays on the ground and in the air to assert their territory, including chasing other males while flying.

Aerial courtship rituals involve fast forward flight with rapidly-beating wings followed by an upward glide, tail fanned out. The male, at the peak of the display, belts out a rasping "ah-AAH-ah-AAAAH-a-a-a-a-a-a!", with the sung latter part coinciding with a gliding descent afterwards.[13] The sound is often described as that of a stick being pulled rapidly across the slats of a picket fence. [14]

On the ground, male ptarmigans defend their space by calling and giving chase to other males. Physical conflicts between territorial males rarely occur, while confrontations between the former toward subordinate males are intensified. Other signals via fanning their tails, extended necks, lowered wings and circling a receptive female are also utilized.[15]

Distribution and habitat

The rock ptarmigan is a

South Georgia, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Crozet Islands.[17]

The small population living on

Russian High Arctic overwinters during the polar night and survives by feeding on rich vegetation on and underneath high cliffs where seabird colonies are located in summer.[18]

During the

last ice age, the species was far more widespread in continental Europe.[19]

Ecology

Feeding

Food sources can vary tremendously depending on the region of their distribution. In Alaska, rock ptarmigans consume

lingonberry shrubs during the spring. The greatest variety in its diet occurs during early summer, when it feeds on willow leaves, as well as the leaves and flowers of Dryas and locoweed. It also feeds on berries, bistort seeds, and birch buds from late summer to autumn. Insects, larvae and snails are eaten by chicks.[21]

Breeding

Apart from the red eye combs, male rock ptarmigans have no 'distinct' plumage (other than the black eye stripe) that are more typical for other grouse in temperate regions. Studies on other grouses have shown that much variation in comb size and colour exists between the species,[22] and that the comb is used in courtship display and aggressive interactions between males.[23] Many studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between the comb size and the level of testosterone in males;[24] one report from 1981 showed that the amount of testosterone is correlated to aggressiveness against other males.[25]

  • Male rock ptarmigan (L. m. islandorum) in winter plumage in Iceland
    Male rock ptarmigan (L. m. islandorum) in winter plumage in Iceland
  • Male rock ptarmigan (L. m. japonicum) in summer plumage on Mount Tsubakuro, Japan
    Male rock ptarmigan (L. m. japonicum) in summer plumage on Mount Tsubakuro, Japan
  • Female rock ptarmigan (L. m. millaisi) in summer plumage near Torridon, Scotland
    Female rock ptarmigan (L. m. millaisi) in summer plumage near Torridon, Scotland
  • Rock ptarmigan (L. m. millaisi) pair (♂ left) in winter plumage near Glen Coe, Scotland
    Rock ptarmigan (L. m. millaisi) pair (♂ left) in winter plumage near Glen Coe, Scotland
  • L. muta eggs
    L. muta eggs
  • Japanese rock ptarmigan chick on Mount Ontake, Japan
    Japanese rock ptarmigan chick on Mount Ontake, Japan
  • In the northern Japanese Alps.
    In the northern Japanese Alps.
  • Female rock ptarmigan in summer plumage in Kvaløya, Norway.
    Female rock ptarmigan in summer plumage in Kvaløya, Norway.

The male's comb has been the focus of studies regarding sexual selection. Studies of a population of male rock ptarmigans in Scarpa Lake, Nunavut, have shown that during the first year, mating success among males was influenced by comb size and condition, and bigamous males had larger combs than monogamous males. The correlation to size disappeared after the first year, but the correlation to comb condition remained.[26] This is consistent with another study of the same population of L. muta that showed that mating success overall is correlated to comb condition. Exceptions were first-time breeders, in which the size of the comb influenced mating success.[27]

The rock ptarmigan becomes sexually mature at six months of age and commonly has up to six chicks. Because of this high breeding rate, the size of the population is affected very little by factors such as hunting.

Ecophysiology

Energy storage and assimilation

Rock ptarmigan have a limited capacity for fat storage,[28] which requires overwintering birds to forage frequently.[29] Most of the minuscule mass gained over winter is to the ovary, oviduct and hypertrophy, in preparation for the spring breeding season.[29] Rock ptarmigan maximize assimilation of nutrient poor foods with their elongated ceca.[20] Metabolic requirements can be partially supplemented by fermentation, the energy gain from fermentation alone, however, is not independently significant.[20]

The Svalbard subspecies of rock ptarmigan is the only subspecies that exhibits a significant seasonal mass gain.[30] Larger fat deposits can help them survive during periods of low food availability.[31] However, this alone is not an adequate source of energy to survive during winter. Additional stored fat does not appear to increase the energetic cost in these birds' locomotion.[32] This adaptation is key for a species that must move frequently to forage.[32] Fat assimilation in these birds is correlated to changes in liver weight.[31] Most rock ptarmigan have no more than 20 grams of adipose tissue year round.[30] Without food, these reserves can supplement energy for 2 days.[30] The Svalbard rock ptarmigan, however, gains about 100 grams of adipose tissue.[30] This can serve as an energy source for up to 10 days of starvation.[30]

The Svalbard subspecies inhabits the northern extent of the rock ptarmigans range.[33] During winter, food availability is lower in Svalbard than in other parts of their range, which accounts for the necessary increased fat reserves not found in other sub populations.[33]

In culture

Rock ptarmigan meat is a popular part of festive meals in Icelandic cuisine. Hunting of rock ptarmigans was banned in Iceland in 2003 and 2004 due to its declining population. Hunting has been allowed again since 2005, but is restricted to selected days, which are revised yearly and all trade of rock ptarmigan is illegal.[34]

In Thomas Bewick's A History of British Birds (1797) the species is named as "White Grouse" with alternatives "White Game, or Ptarmigan". The birds feed, records Bewick, "on the wild productions of the hills, which sometimes give the flesh a bitter, but not unpalatable taste: it is dark coloured, and has somewhat the flavour of the hare."[35]

Provincial bird

The rock ptarmigan is the official territorial bird of Nunavut, Canada.[36] Its Inuktitut name is ᐊᕐᑭᒡᒋᖅ ᐊᑕᔪᓕᒃ, aqiggiq atajulik.[37] It is the official game bird of Newfoundland and Labrador.

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679464A89358137.en
    .
  2. ^ Montin, Lars. 1781. Tvänner Arter af Snöripan. Physiographiska Sälskapets Handlingar 1(3):150-155
  3. ^ Tyrberg, T. 1998. The date of publication of Montin's description of Lagopus mutus. Bull. B.O.C. 118(1):56-57
  4. ^ Government of Nunavut. "The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) Official Bird of Nunavut". Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  5. ^ "The Arms, Seals, and Emblems of Newfoundland and Labrador".
  6. ISBN 978-4415305325
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-854634-4
    .
  8. ^ David, Normand; Gosselin, Michel (2002). "The grammatical gender of avian genera". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 122 (4): 257–282.
  9. ISBN 978-0-19-866196-2
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-854099-1
    .
  11. ^ "Rock Ptarmigan Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
  12. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  13. doi:10.2173/bow.rocpta1.01
    . Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  14. OCLC 929856386.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  15. doi:10.2173/bow.rocpta1.01
    . Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  16. ^ Yamashina, Yoshimaro (1961) Birds in Japan. Tokyo News Service
  17. ISBN 9780876633182
  18. ^ Dinets, V. (2001) Winter ecology of Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus and Rock Ptarmigan L. mutus at the northern limit of their range. Ornitologia 29: 326–327 (in Russian with English summary).
  19. doi:10.3409/173491505783995743
    .
  20. ^
    OCLC 300121471
    .
  21. doi:10.2173/bow.rocpta1.01
    . Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  22. ISBN 978-0-8032-2558-9
  23. ^ Hjorth, I. (1970), "Reproductive behaviour in Tetraonidae", Viltrevy, 7: 183–596
  24. JSTOR 4085405
  25. JSTOR 3675905
  26. S2CID 53162941
  27. S2CID 54251015
  28. OCLC 5164107
    .
  29. ^
    doi:10.1139/z81-172
    .
  30. ^
    doi:10.14430/arctic2676
    .
  31. ^
    JSTOR 3676018
    .
  32. ^
    PMID 21125015
    .
  33. ^
    JSTOR 3676703
    .
  34. ^ "Umhverfisráðuneyti" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  35. ^ Bewick, Thomas; Beilby, Ralph (1797). "White Grouse". A History of British Birds, Volume 1: Land Birds. Beilby and Bewick.
  36. ^ "The Official Bird of Nunavut | Nunavut Legislative Assembly". assembly.nu.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  37. ^ "Anirniliit – those which breathe". www.arctic.uoguelph.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-22.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Lagopus muta (category)
Wikispecies has information related to Lagopus muta.
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