Ptarmigan 



Prairie Chicken 



The White-tailed Ptarmigan, or Snow Quail of the miners, live 

 above timberline in our western mountains. In summer their 

 mottled brown garb imitates the rocky surroundings so closely 

 that the birds are almost invisible. In winter pure white feathers 

 hide them in the snow. When strong winds lash the high plateaus, 

 the White -tailed Ptarmigan dig hollows in the snow. There they 

 lie facing into the wind until the storm passes. 



The Willow Ptarmigan live in the Arctic, nesting in the low, 

 open tundra along the coast, at edge of marshes, and on willow- 

 covered hillsides. The aggressive males vigorously defend their 

 mates and broods, flying bravely at any intruder. In late fall the 

 birds begin to shed their brown coats and by winter have grown 

 yellow-tinged white ones. Nature provides them with snowshoes-- 

 long, coarse hairs that cover the feet- -to help them move easily 

 on deep snow. The Willow Ptarmigan move into the sheltered 

 inland valleys in winter to avoid the extreme cold of the sea- 

 coasts. Here they feed on willow and alder buds until spring again 

 draws them to their coastal nesting grounds. 



The Rock Ptarmigan live in the barest and rockiest barrens of 

 northern Alaska. In their pink-tinged winter plumage, the birds 

 dig deeply in the snow for food with heavily feathered, sharply 

 clawed feet. When the long arctic night comes they often gather 

 in large flocks and fly southward out of the continuous darkness. 

 Low over the land, rising and falling with its contour, the flocks 

 fly fast and long. They often cross large bodies of water. In 

 late spring, the male shows his preference for his chosen miate 

 by running in circles about her, dragging his wings and pushing 

 himself along on his breast. The hardy hen nests on the open 

 tundra near a small bush or large rock. Her coarsely mottled 

 coat blends perfectly with the rocky terrain. 



The Prairie Chicken is a henlike grouse with softly barred 

 brown and white feathers. It is a true child of the prairies and 

 disappears when the grasslands are plowed. In spring the birds 

 gather at some favored spot on the prairie to boom and dance. 

 As day breaks, the dance begins with the rapid patting of many 

 Sharp -tailed Grouse feet. Then with lowered head, dragging wings, and widely spread 

 tail, the cocks strut about. The loose skin at the throat swells 

 into two orange -colored balloons and black neck tufts stand erect. 

 With a sudden twist of the head, cock after cock jerks out a 

 resonant boom that vibrates over the still, cold air. Suddenly 

 several birds cackle loudly and spring into the air, twisting and 

 turning. On the ground again they rush the nearest bird. Nearby, 

 the hens feed quietly, apparently unnnindful of the violent court- 

 ship antics of the males. 



The Sharp-tailed Grouse gets its name from its sharply point- 

 ed tail. This helps you distinguish it from its relative, the 

 Prairie Chicken, which has a bluntly rounded tail. The Sharp-tail 

 lives in brushlands and rolling, grassy country. It spends most 

 of the year on the ground but in winter it often is seen in tree- 

 tops, feeding on buds. On very cold nights it digs into a snowbank, 

 making its bed several inches under the snow. When spring 

 comes, it, too, performs a peculiar dance on ancestral "dancing 

 grounds." The Sharp-tail has disappeared from many parts of 

 its former range in the United States. It has disappeared fronn 

 some because of intensive farnning and fronn others, as in 

 Wisconsin and Michigan, because of the reforesting of many 

 areas. 



