Description
The Rock Ptarmigan is a medium-sized grouse characterized by plumage that changes with the seasons: white in winter to blend in with the snow and brown in summer to blend in with the rocky terrain. It feeds mainly on alpine vegetation, such as leaves, shoots, and berries. It has a distinctive, guttural call. It inhabits mountainous and rocky environments, generally above the tree line. It nests on the ground, in shallow depressions, during the spring and early summer months.
The Situation in Italian-Speaking Switzerland
The rock ptarmigan is widely distributed in the northern part of Ticino, while further south it is found only in the mountains that reach an elevation of 2,100 meters. The species inhabits well-structured alpine slopes composed of vegetation, scree, and rocks, as well as wind-exposed ridges and snow-filled valleys.
- Lagopus muta
- Lagopède alpin
- Alpenschneehuhn
- Lagopus alpin
- Rock Ptarmigan
- 35 cm
- 54–60 cm
