Alaska State Bird

Alaska state bird: Willow Ptarmigan Tyrannusforficatus

Alaska State Bird Description:

Size: 14 to 17 inches (35 - 44 cm)
Wingspan: 24 to 26 inches (60 - 65 cm)
Weight: 15.25 to 28.5 ounces (430- 810 g)

The Willow Ptarmigan is a small grouse. It is heavy-bodiedwith a moderately short tail that is rounded and black. It has a redcomb over its eyes which is larger in the spring and summer. The billis small and dark and its legs and feet are feathered.

In the spring and summer it has rusty brown feathers on itsback, neck and head mixed with white feathers on its wings and stomach.In the winter, it is all white except for a few black featherson its tail.

Habitat:

The Willow Ptarmigan lives in open tundra. It prefers areasheavily vegetated with grasses, mosses, herbs, and shrubs includingthickets with alder and willow trees.

Range:

The Willow Ptarmigan's range spreads across Alaska into Labrador andsouth to central British Columbia, northern Ontario, and centralQuebec.

Diet:

The Willow Ptarmigan eats flowers, leaves, plant shoots, berries, seedsand insects. In the winter it will eat twigs and buds from willows andalders.

Nesting:

The female builds the nest in a location that is sheltered by rocks,plants or logs. It is built on the ground in a hollowed outarea that is lined with feathers and grass. The male guards the nestingarea while the female incubates the eggs.

The clutch contains 4 to 14 eggs and the incubation periodlasts about three weeks.

A Few Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Alaska StateBird:

The Willow Ptarmigan will often fly intosnow banks to sleep. By flying into the banks, they don't leave anytracks for predators to follow.
The feathers on its legs and feet helpprotect it from the cold and snow.
The female Willow Ptarmigan molts directlyfrom winter white to summer brown. The males actually display a transitionalplumage, showing a graduale change from white to chestnut brown.

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