Know Before You Go

© 

Willow Ptarmigan Facts | Alaska Wildlife Guide

Physical Description

With squat, rounded wings and a slight black bill, this stout bird resembles a chicken. Reaching 15 to 17 inches long, the willow ptarmigan is the biggest of the three species of ptarmigan. Males weigh in at just over one pound and females weigh a little less. The red comb above their eyes and the square tail that remains black all year distinguish this bird from other ptarmigan. Females, which are more gray-brown, display heavy breast and flank barring while mature males have brilliant red "eyebrows."

Thick feathers cover the willow ptarmigan’s legs and hide its nostrils to prevent snow from getting in. In autumn, ptarmigan also grow a solid clump of rigid feathers over their toes. These feather-covered feet act like snowshoes in winter, while their sharp, elongated claws assist the bird with crossing icy slopes in Alaska.

The ptarmigan’s plumage is in harmony with the colors dominating the landscape. In winter, ptarmigan are snowy white, but in late spring, they morph to piebald, a combination of summer brown and winter white. In summer, they turn deep tones of gray and brown, blending in with the ground. In fall, they turn speckled brown, white and gray before returning to a dazzling white in time for snow to cover the earth again.

Apparently conscious of their camouflage, they tend to gravitate toward surroundings that match their color so they can remain unnoticed by predators. For instance, white ptarmigan are extremely unwilling to travel across dark ground. Likewise, birds dressed in summer brown do their best to cross dark ground while circumventing snow patches. This strategy helps ptarmigan remain inconspicuous year-round, with the exception of spring when males fervently court females.

Habitat

Willow ptarmigan favor summering sites in the tundra, the alpine tree line boundary and mountain slopes. In wintertime, the birds nest in willow trees and sheltered valleys. They inhabit most of their range during winter, and can be found roosting and feeding together during this time. Gathered in large numbers, the birds may migrate south. Ptarmigan are thought to be the most migratory species of upland game birds in North America.

Behavior

Though willow ptarmigan spend the majority of time on the ground, if they are startled, they burst into strong, swift flight and can cover a mile prior to landing. Because snow provides excellent insulation from the cold and offers a place to hide from predators, ptarmigan prefer to sleep under the snow. For this reason, you may see a ptarmigan flying straight into a snow bank; if it were to walk, a predator, such as Arctic fox, may be able to trace its tracks.

Feeding Habits

During winter months, willow ptarmigan consume the twigs, buds and catkins of trees such as birch and willow. During the summer, they feast on brightly-colored kinnikinnick berries, cranberries, crowberries and blueberries. They also eat seeds, as well as the flowering buds and supple leaves of birch, alder and willow trees. Nestlings will eat spiders and insects, including caterpillars and beetles.

Reproduction

Males guard their territories vigorously against other imposing cocks. They may fight over hens, lashing out and plucking feathers in a bloody combat. A male will make a show of clucking, strutting and burping next to a female, flashing the vivid scarlet of his serrated head combs. With quick, dainty steps, he follows her, showcasing the large black feathers in his fanned tail that stand in stark contrast with the snowy white of his body. Dragging wings flung stiffly out to either side, he abruptly soars into the sky. Giving a cry of enthusiastic, gurgling song, he drifts down to the female, completing his elaborate display.

Willow ptarmigan are generally polygamous, as cocks typically mating with a number of hens. After breeding, a female will make a nest by digging a shallow depression at the base of a shrub, mound, log or cluster of grass. She lines the nest with soft feathers and grass, hidden on the tundra or at the edge of a clearing. A willow ptarmigan cock will stay with a hen while she incubates their eggs, unlike other ptarmigan species. The male will guard the female and their young against predators such as gulls, foxes, weasels, owls and hawks. Keeping lookout from a nearby thicket, cocks will confront humans if they attempt to steal their chicks, and there is even record of a male attacking a curious brown bear!

Incubation lasts 21 to 22 days. Merely a week after hatching, chicks begin attempting flight, and will soon leave the nest. Father and mother care for their chicks until they are about 60 days old.

Photo Credit: Jeff Goldberg
See Willow Ptarmigan on These Alaska Adventures
Repeater Layout : vertical-2up
Ultimate Alaska Wildlife Safari 14
New Itinerary!

Ultimate Alaska Wildlife Safari

See more of wild Alaska on a wide-ranging, small-group adventure including Alaskan brown bears, a fly-in backcountry lodge in Denali National Park, marine life of Kenai Fjords, and the scenic Alaska Railroad to Seward.
12 Days / Jun–Aug
$15995 (+air)
14
Photo Departures Available
Make it Custom Make it Private
New Itinerary!
Alaska Grizzly Encounter: Kodiak to Katmai 8

Alaska Grizzly Encounter: Kodiak to Katmai

An exclusive small-ship adventure to view giant brown bears—the world's largest "coastal grizzlies"—up close! Walk the shores as bears dig for clams, forage for sedges and pursue salmon in season in tidal streams.
8 Days / Jun–Sep
$10695 (+air)
8
Photo Departures Available
Make it Custom Make it Private
Know Before You Go

Send Me Travel Emails

Get the Inside Scoop on the

World of Nature Travel

Our weekly eNewsletters highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more. Sign up today!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Me Travel Emails
Privacy Policy
Thank you for joining our email list

Look for a special welcome message in your inbox, arriving shortly! Be sure to add naturalhabitat@nathab.com to your email contacts so you don’t miss out on future emails.

Get Weekly Updates

Our weekly eNewsletter highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more.

Privacy Policy
We're Proud of the Reputation We’ve Earned
Outside
Voted "World's Best Travel
Company"
by Outside Magazine
Outside
Natural Habitat Adventures Ranked
“Best Outfitter”
NatGeo
Voted Best Winter Trip: Natural Habitat Adventures' Monarch Butterfly Migration, Mexico
VIEW MORE AWARDS

Request Your 2023 Catalog

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Nathab 2024 Catalog

Together, Natural Habitat Adventures and World Wildlife Fund have teamed up to arrange nearly a hundred nature travel experiences around the planet, while helping to protect the magnificent places we visit and their wild inhabitants.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Request Your 2024/2025 Catalog
Continued - Page 2 of 2
To help us customize your catalog request, please tell us more about your travel needs:
Thank you for requesting a catalog
We’ve received your request. If you have any questions about our trips, please feel free to contact an Adventure Specialist today by calling 800-543-8917.

Get Weekly Updatess

Discover the World's Best

Nature Travel Experiences

Our weekly eNewsletter highlights new adventures, exclusive offers, webinars, nature news, travel ideas, photography tips and more. Sign up today!

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Me Travel Emails
Privacy Policy
Thank you for joining our email list!

Look for a special welcome message in your inbox, arriving shortly! Be sure to add naturalhabitat@nathab.com to your email contacts so you don’t miss out on future emails.

Send Us a Message

Send Us a Message

Have a question or comment? Use the form to the right to get in touch with us.

Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Send Us a Message
Thank you for your message

We’ll be in touch soon with a response.

Refer a Friend

Refer a Friend,
Get $250 Off
Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
Refer a Friend

Earn rewards for referring your friends! We'd like to thank our loyal travelers for spreading the word. Share your friend's address so we can send a catalog, and if your friend takes a trip as a first-time Nat Hab traveler, you'll receive a $250 Nat Hab credit you can use toward a future trip or the purchase of Nat Hab gear. To refer a friend, just complete the form below or call us at 800-543-8917. It's that easy! See rules and fine print here.

Thank you for the referral!

We've received your friend's information.

View Our 2023 Digital Catalog

View Our 2024/2025

Digital Catalog

Help us save paper! We offer a digital version of The World's Greatest Nature Journeys. If you'd prefer a mailed copy, please provide your contact details here. To view our digital catalog, please enter your info in the form to the right.
Natural Habitat Adventures Logo WWF Logo
View Digital Catalog
Happy browsing!

Thanks for requesting access to our digital catalog. Click here to view it now. You’ll also receive it by email momentarily.

Our Trips

Polar Bear Tours

Polar Bear Tours

African Safaris

African Safaris

Galapagos Tours

Galapagos Tours

Alaska Adventures

Alaska Adventures

U.S. National Parks Tours

U.S. National Parks Tours

Canada & the North

Canada & the North

Europe Adventures

Europe Adventures

Mexico & Central America Tours

Mexico & Central America Tours

South America Adventures

South America Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Asia & Pacific Adventures

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Antarctica & Arctic Journeys

Adventure Cruises

Adventure Cruises

Photography Expeditions

Photography Expeditions

Women's Adventures

Women's Adventures

Family Adventures

Family Adventures

New Adventures

New Adventures

Questions? Call 800-543-8917

Contact Us

Have a question or comment?
Click any of the buttons below to get in touch with us.

Hours
Mountain Time

  • 8 am to 5 pm, Monday - Friday
  • 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday
  • Closed on Sunday
Call 800-543-8917
Questions? Click to Chat
Questions? Click to Chat
/know-before-you-go/alaska-northern-adventures/alaska/wildlife-guide/willow-ptarmigan/