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Home/Species/ Willow Ptarmigan

Lagopus lagopus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Willow Ptarmigan

G5Secure Found in 20 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1368249
Element CodeABNLC10040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderGalliformes
FamilyPhasianidae
GenusLagopus
Concept Reference
American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, N. A. Mason, and P. C. Rasmussen. 2025. Sixty-sixth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 142:1-19.
Taxonomic Comments
Known as Willow Grouse in the Old World. Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) considered conspecific with L. scotica (Latham, 1789) [Red Grouse], but separated based on differences in breeding plumage, molt, and genomics (Quintela et al. 2010, Kozma et al. 2019, Sangster et al. 2022), despite vocal similarities (AOS 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2016-04-08
Change Date1996-11-25
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent Comments
This species breeds in birch and other forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada, in particular in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. In the US, it also wanders irregularly south, during the winter, to Michigan, Wisconsin, casually to Montana, North Dakota, and Maine.
Occurrences Comments
This is a wide-ranging species known from hundreds of occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Threats for this species are unknown.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Open alpine and arctic tundra, especially in areas heavily vegetated with grasses, mosses, herbs and shrubs, less frequently in openings in boreal coniferous forest (AOU 1983). Common especially in thickets of willow and alder (National Geographic Society 1983). Nests on the ground, on tundra, beaches, or near marshes (Terres 1980). The nest is a scrape lined with grasses, moss, and feathers, usually located near a bush or tuft of grass.

Ecology

Family group stays together until late fall; may join other groups and form winter flocks. Cycles of low/high population fluctuations occur but not well understood (Terres 1980). Female breeding territory averaged 2.5-3 ha in British Columbia. Male breeding territories ranged from 1-8 hectares in British Columbia; polygynous males had territories averaging 5.3 hectares, monogamous males had territories averaging 3.9 hectares, and unmated males had territories averaging 2.9 hectares (Hannon and Dobush 1997).

Reproduction

Breeding begins in mid-May in south to early June in north; in northern Canada, date of clutch initiation apparently is related to timing of snow melt (Hannon et al. 1988). Clutch size is 4-17 (usually 6-11) Incubation lasts 20-26 days (Harrison 1978); in northern Canada, incubated 20-22 days after clutch completion (Hannon et al. 1988). Nestlings are precocial and downy. Young are guarded by both parents, can fly at about 12-13 days, independent at about 2 months. Mature in 1 year. Monogamous.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralAlpineTundra
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlaskaS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
LabradorS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
Nova ScotiaSNANo
British ColumbiaS4Yes
ManitobaS4BYes
NunavutS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
SaskatchewanS5NYes
Island of NewfoundlandS5Yes
AlbertaS1Yes
QuebecS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (20)
Alaska (20)
AreaForestAcres
CalderTongass National Forest9,857
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
El CapitanTongass National Forest26,693
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Game CreekTongass National Forest54,469
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Salmon BayTongass National Forest22,793
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
References (13)
  1. American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, N. A. Mason, and P. C. Rasmussen. 2025. Sixty-sixth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 142:1-19.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  3. Bergerud, A. T., and M. W. Gratson, editors. 1987. Adaptive strategies and population ecology of northern grouse. Univ. Minnesoat Press. 785 pp.
  4. Ellsworth, D. L., R. L. Honeycut, and N. J. Silvy. 1995. Phylogenetic relationships among North American grouse inferred from restriction endonuclease analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Condor 97:492-502.
  5. Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
  6. Hannon, S. J. 1984. Factors influencing age-related reproductive success in the willow ptarmigan. Auk 101:848-854.
  7. Hannon, S. J., and G. Dobush. 1997. Pairing status of male Willow Ptarmigan: is polygyny costly to males? Animal Behaviour 53:369-380.
  8. Hannon, S. J., K. Martin, and J. O. Schieck. 1988. Timing of reproduction in two populations of willow ptarmigan in northern Canada. Auk 105:330-338.
  9. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  10. Johnsgard, P.A. 1983b. The grouse of the world. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. xvi + 413 pp.
  11. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
  12. National Geographic Society (NGS). 1983. Field guide to the birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
  13. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.