The willow ptarmigan can be found in the tundra and in thickets with alder
and willow trees. They are found in open forests and shrub meadows high in the
mountains where the temperature is colder. Willow ptarmigan are fairly large birds,
the size of a small chicken.
During the summer, the male has a chestnut
brown head and neck, with a mainly white belly splashed with brown. The tail feathers
are black and the eyebrows are red. They range at a maximum length up to 13-14
inches. It is also called as Rock ptarmigan.
The willow ptarmigan usually
diet on shoots and leaves of plants but also eats berries, seeds and insects.
It prefers willow and birch. They also have enemies which can hunt such as fox,
hawk and owls. They built their nests in a hollowed area which includes feathers
and grasses. The nest contains 7-10 eggs. The male guards the area where the female
is nesting.
