158 
GALLI FORMES 
The females are heavily barred with dark brown and ochre, the latter being pre- 
dominant. They are not nearly as red in general effect as is the male. 
Distinctions. A small grouse. Feet feathered to toes (Figure 226) and white wings 
distinguish them as ptarmigan. The black tail always separates the Willow from the \Yh de- 
tailed Ptarmigan, and the larger bill from the Rock Ptarmigan. The greatest difficulty 
of separation will be from summer and autumn plumages of Rock Ptarmigan. The male 
is recognizable by colour in summer or autumn by the more general reddish effect, especially 
the large masses of almost even red on neck and breast; neither sex ever shows the fine 
pepper and salt vermiculation that is so characteristic of the autumn plumage of the 
other two species. Females in the summer plumage are difficult to separate by colour 
characters from the parallel plumage of the Rock Ptarmigan; size, especially of the bill, 
which is larger and less slender, makes the most reliable criterion (Compare Figures 227 
and 228). The bills may be variable in size, but no Rock Ptarmigan has the bill quite as 
heavy as the lightest of this species. 
Field Marks. As ptarmigan, in winter, by nearly complete whiteness and in summer 
by white patches on body plumage and white wings. From White-tailed at any season 
by black tail. Probably rarely separable in life from the Rock Ptarmigan except in the 
case of good maroon-breasted males. 
Distribution. Northern parts of northern hemisphere. In America across the con- 
tinent mostly north of tree limits in summer, migrating occasionally to northern edge of 
prairies in winter. Also occurring at some elevation south to central British Columbia. 
SUBSPECIES. The generally recognized race of Willow Ptarmigan throughout 
most of western Canada differing from the type form of Europe is the Black-shafted 
Ptarmigan (le Lagopede a ailes noires) Lagopus lagopus albus. Alexander’s Ptarmigan 
(le Lagopede d’Alexander) Lagopus lagopus alexandrae, a southern Alaskan coast form, 
has been reported from Porcher Island, British Columbia, near the Alaska-British Columbia 
boundary. Another form has lately been described, the White- winged Ptarmigan (le 
Lagopede a ailes blanches) Lagopus lagopus leucopterus, lacking the black shafts to the 
primaries, from the Arctic Islands, and Lagopus lagopus alleni Allen’s Ptarmigan (le 
Lagopede d’ Allen), characterized by dusky clouding of the primaries, inhabits Newfound- 
land. 
302. Rock Ptarmigan, arctic ptarmigan, le lagopede des rochers. Lagopus 
rupestris. L, 13. The intermediate in size of the three ptarmigan. In winter, all white 
except a black tail and usually a black bar through eye to the base of bill (Figure 228). 
A scarlet comb over the eye is prominent in spring and may be present to a lesser degree 
at other seasons. 
The summer male is decidedly barred with dark and ochre with little white inter- 
mixed, the dark being predominant. In autumn plumage the same colours are present, 
but generally lighter and vermiculated with a fine pepper-and-salt effect, the ochre pre- 
dominating and with more white than in summer, which gives a greyish overcast. 
Females are coarsely barred, showing much more light colours than the male. The 
autumn plumage has the barring reduced and is somewhat less finely vermiculated than 
the male. 
Distinctions. A small grouse. Feet feathered to end of toes (Figure 226) and white 
wings distinguish it as a ptarmigan. The black tail separates it from the White-tailed 
Ptarmigan, and in winter the black streak through the eye, sometimes reduced, occasion- 
ally obsolete, from the Willow. The greatest difficulty of separation will be from summer 
W illow Ptarmigan. The male is recognizable by colour in either summer or autumn 
plumage by the lack of any mass of red and the presence of pronounced crossbarring. 
In the autumn plumage both sexes show a pronounced, fine vermiculation foreign to the 
Willow. Females in summer plumage are difficult to separate from similar plumage of 
the W illow Ptarmigan by colour characters, and size, especially of the bill which is lighter 
and slenderer as well as smaller, makes the most reliable criterion (Compare Figures 228 
and 227). The bill may be quite variable, but no Willow Ptarmigan ever has the bill 
quite as slight as the heaviest of this species. 
Field Marks. Considerably smaller than the W illow Ptarmigan, anti with more 
slender bill. W ith few exceptions recognizable in winter by a black area in front of eye. 
Distribution. A more Arctic form than the Willow or the White-tailed. Northern 
North America and Greenland. In America, across the continent farther north than the 
Willow and seldom if ever coming down into civilization even in winter. Occurs in some 
of the mountain tops as far south as central British Columbia. 
SUBSPECIES. A number of subspecies are recognized, several being credited to 
Alaska. Over most of the continental mass the Southern Rock Ptarmigan (le Lagopede 
