ptarmigans
White-feathered alpine birds
Ptarmigans are plump ground-dwelling birds of the grouse family, native to arctic and subarctic regions.
They're notable for plumage that changes seasonally—white in winter for camouflage against snow, mottled brown in summer.
The silent P at the beginning is a pseudo-Greek spelling affectation; the word comes from Scottish Gaelic.
We spotted a ptarmigan on the alpine tundra.
Fowl or fuss
- gamebirdFowl hunted for sport
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
covey · hen · cock · chick · clutch · ground-nesting · gamebirds · boreal
Frigid treeless biome
- alpineOf high elevations
- arcticOf extreme northern cold
- subarcticZone south of Arctic
- mountainTall natural landmass
taiga · snowfield · permafrost · Scotland · Norway · Alaska · Canada · Greenland
Fowl hunted for sport
- shootingDischarging a weapon
- grouse huntingPursuing wild fowl afield
- bag limitMaximum legal catch
- stalkingStealthy, persistent pursuit
setter · wild game · game meat · conservation · sustainable harvest · hunting season
Seeking wild food sources
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
- scratchingRaking with nails
- dust bathingSelf-cleaning in loose soil
- courtship displayRitual to attract partners
croaking · cackling · walking · low flight · huddling · flocking · feeding · browsing
Periodic shedding of covering
- white plumageBird's colorless feather covering
- winter coatInsulated cold-season outerwear
- seasonal changeClimate's periodic transformation
- snow-whiteCompletely, perfectly white
mottled · barred · concealment · blending · adaptation · color change · ermine · snowshoe hare
grouse
Fowl or fuss
wingspan · covey · hen · cock · chick · clutch · ground-nesting · gamebirds · boreal
tundra
Frigid treeless biome
mountain · taiga · snowfield · permafrost · Scotland · Norway · Alaska · Canada · Greenland · Iceland
gamebird
Fowl hunted for sport
- shootingDischarging a weapon
- grouse huntingPursuing wild fowl afield
- bag limitMaximum legal catch
stalking · setter · wild game · game meat · conservation · sustainable harvest · hunting season
foraging
Seeking wild food sources
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
- scratchingRaking with nails
- dust bathingSelf-cleaning in loose soil
courtship display · croaking · cackling · walking · low flight · huddling · flocking · feeding · browsing · berries
molting
Periodic shedding of covering
- white plumageBird's colorless feather covering
- winter coatInsulated cold-season outerwear
- seasonal changeClimate's periodic transformation
snow-white · mottled · barred · concealment · blending · adaptation · color change · ermine · snowshoe hare
- camouflage expertschameleons, octopuses, cuttlefish, stick insects, leaf insects
- alpine zonesalpine meadow, alpine lakes, treeline, timberline, snowfields
- game birdswild turkey, wild turkeys, pheasants, quails, grouse
ptarmiganspeacocks
Male peafowl, plural
birds of paradise · tropical birds · quail · toucans · parrots