Willow ptarmigan are predators of various insect and beetle species. They may be infected with flukes Trematoda species , tapeworms Cestoda species , roundworms Nematoda species and ectoparasites. Many parasites are thought to decrease the body weight of willow ptarmigan, which can lead to death if the weight loss is severe enough.
Although this has not been formally observed in North America, populations of red grouse in Scotland have experienced significant decline due to body parasites. As well as being a predator to many invertebrates, willow ptarmigan are also prey to a number of larger bird and mammal species, including hooded crows , ravens , magpies , red foxes , gyrfalcons , wolverines , wolves and Arctic foxes.
Hannon and Martin, ; Holmstad, et al. Willow ptarmigan are extremely popular upland game birds in North America and Europe and are regularly used for sport. A subspecies of willow ptarmigan, Scottish red grouse, have particularly important economic value in Scotland. The abundance of red grouse is often a determining factor in land value and revenue, and thus employment and use of the land. The decline of the Scottish red grouse population has lead to loss of revenue in the Central Highlands.
Barnes, There are no known adverse effects of willow ptarmigan on humans. Aniskowicz, Willow ptarmigan are extremely widespread and their conservation status is of least concern.
However, as of , they were classified as critically imperiled in the province of Alberta, Canada. Several new possible threats to ptarmigan populations have emerged in recent years. Although ecotourism has not directly altered ptarmigan populations, it has inadvertently contributed to the destruction of already fragile habitats that support this species. Pollutants are also becoming a more serious problem to many Arctic populations, including willow ptarmigan.
The Scottish red grouse population has shown significant decline in recent years. This is thought to have occurred primarily due to the reduction of heather abundance which are a main food source for red grouse , caused by afforestation and farming. Lagopus lagopus has several common names. These include: Alaska ptarmigan, Alexander ptarmigan, Allen ptarmigan, Arctic grouse, red grouse found in Scotland , Scottish grouse, white grouse, white-shafted ptarmigan, willow grouse, willow partridge and willow ptarmigan.
There are several subspecies of willow ptarmigan in North America. Some of these include Lagopus lagopus albus , L. Most of these subspecies occupy their own geographical area. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a now extinct synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities.
Convergent in birds. Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons or periodic condition changes. Coniferous or boreal forest, located in a band across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. This terrestrial biome also occurs at high elevations. Long, cold winters and short, wet summers. Few species of trees are present; these are primarily conifers that grow in dense stands with little undergrowth. Some deciduous trees also may be present. A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy.
Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia. A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome. Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
A terrestrial biome with low, shrubby or mat-like vegetation found at extremely high latitudes or elevations, near the limit of plant growth.
Soils usually subject to permafrost. Plant diversity is typically low and the growing season is short. Environment Canada Wildlife Service.
Ottawa: Information Canada. Scotland Outdoors. Andreev, A. Winter Adaptations in the Willow Ptarmigan. Aniskowicz, B. Hinterland Who's Who. Barnes, R. Bergerud, A. Campbell, R. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. Cooper, G. Kaiser, M. Hannon, S. The Birds of North America Online. Factors limiting polygyny in the willow ptarmigan. The calls and associated behavior of breeding willow ptarmigan in Canada. Colour bands, combs and coverable badges in willow ptarmigan.
Holmstad, P. Hudson, A. The influence of a parasite community on the dynamics of a host population: a longitudinal study on willow ptarmigan and their parasites. Johnsgard, P. University of Nebraska, Lincoln Nebraska.
Lethbridge College Virtual Wildlife, Lethbridge College Virtual Wildlife Project. Martin, K. Pairing and adoption of offspring by replacement male willow ptarmigan: behaviour, costs and consequences. Mo Leng Wong, M. Nash, S. Pedersen, A. Yoccoz, R. Prevalence of nest predators in a sub-Arctic ecosystem.
European Journal of Wildlife Research , Steen, J. Andersen, A. Pedersen, K. Aleutian rock ptarmigan range down to sea level, and are found on coastal grassy areas and on gentle to moderate slopes consisting predominantly of low forbes. Rock ptarmigan also live in Canada, Scandinavia, Scotland, and northern Eurasia. They range through most of Greenland and Iceland and have scattered southern outposts in Japan, Switzerland, and Spain.
In Alaska, rock ptarmigan live in all major treeless areas except the flat tundras of the western and extreme northern coasts. Ptarmigan are notorious for their here-today, gone-tomorrow populations, pulsing between superabundance and virtual absence in just a few years. The causes of the rapid population changes remain a mystery.
Many people think that ptarmigan numbers fluctuate rhythmically, with peaks once every nine or 10 years. Although there is good evidence for these cycles in Iceland, cycles are more legend than proven fact in Alaska. Under these conditions, one or two years of poor reproduction, a cold wet spring, or high winter losses can cause drastic declines in abundance. Conversely, one or two good years might result in more ptarmigan than you could swing a shotgun at. Despite all of this care, young ptarmigan encounter many things that can kill them unless they are vigorous and lucky.
Poor weather too soon after hatching, the quick pounce of the fox or the swift swoop of the hawk, chance separation from the family, and diseases like coccidiosis, all can be fatal. In most years, 65 to 80 percent of all chicks die before they are 11 months old. At that rate, a 4-yearold ptarmigan is a fortunate bird. The abundance of ptarmigan at any time is the result of the reproductive success minus the deaths during the previous two years.
Ptarmigan numbers can build up with astonishing speed given favorable conditions, but often decline just as rapidly. Ptarmigan hunting is fun. You never know what to expect from one trip to the next. Late in September, after facing a strong, cold wind for several fruitless hours, you top out on a rocky ridge and suddenly find yourself surrounded by several hundred stretch-necked, pinto-patterned ptarmigan.
You hang up your shotgun for five months, only to be tolled into the hills again by the bright blue days of March. Warmly clad in parka and mukluks, you snowshoe across narrow alpine valleys following meandering trails of three-pronged ptarmigan tracks across the brilliant snow.
Then is the time to go after ptarmigan in earnest, using all the tricks at your command. Snares are very effective when used by those who know the birds well. A favorite method is to build a thin fence of close-set willow branches, leaving small openings where the snares are set. Another technique takes advantage of the fact that ptarmigan drag their feet in soft snow. A series of snare loops are tied into a long line, and the loops are placed flat on the ground around a favorite thicket of willows.
Birds step into the loops, drag their feet forward — and are caught. In general the small game hunting seasons are long late summer through the winter and the bag limits are very liberal. The current Alaska hunting regulations cover harvest limits, seasons, and general hunting restrictions.
Small game specific regulations are also available on this page. Alaska is divided into 26 game management units, or GMUs. Find the unit where you plan to hunt.
Some units are divided into subunits, and within each, seasons and bag limits may vary. Often, they can only eat whatever happens to be growing at the time.
For northern tribes and peoples, ptarmigan meat is an important part of daily life and culture. In many areas, the local government regulates hunting to protect the populations of the birds. Habitat destruction also poses a danger, and climate change is altering the habitats in the northern hemisphere every year.
No, ptarmigans do not make good pets. They are wild animals, and are adapted to an incredibly cold environment. It is also illegal to own ptarmigans as pets in many places. The only zoos that readily house this bird are those in rather cold climates. Because they are relatively small, and usually live on the ground, creating a habitat for them is quite easy. Zoos provide them with low vegetation to hide in, similar to what they find in the wild.
Their diet of plants is easy to replicate, and zookeepers can give them pelleted feed to ensure all their nutritional needs are met. Outside of breeding season, these birds are usually solitary. They spend most of their time searching for food and hiding from predators. As the breeding season rolls around, all the ptarmigans migrate to seasonal breeding grounds. Once they arrive, males defend small territories, often fighting with other males.
Females wander through these territories until they find a potential suitor. Once she finds a good mate, the female ptarmigan builds her nest and lays her eggs.
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