Rock ptarmigan

Rock ptarmigan
A pair in spring plumage in Norway
Display song, Glenshee, Scotland
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Lagopus
Species:
L. muta
Binomial name
Lagopus muta
(Montin, 1781)[2][3]
Subspecies

some 20–30, including:

  • L. m. muta (Montin, 1781)
    Scandinavian ptarmigan
  • L. m. rupestris (Gmelin, 1789)
    Canadian rock ptarmigan
  • L. m. helvetica (Thienemann, 1829)
    Alpine ptarmigan
  • L. m. japonica H. L. Clark, 1907
    Japanese ptarmigan
  • L. m. millaisi Hartert, 1923
    Scottish ptarmigan
  • L. m. hyperborea Sundevall, 1845
    Svalbard ptarmigan
Rock Ptarmigan range[1]
Synonyms
  • Tetrao mutus Montin, 1781
  • Lagopus mutus (lapsus, see below)
Lagopus muta pyrenaica – MHNT

The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut,[4] where it is known as the aqiggiq (ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ), and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.[5] In Japan, it is known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird". It is the official bird of Gifu, Nagano, and Toyama Prefectures[6] and is a protected species nationwide. Unlike many arctic bird species, ptarmigan do not gain substantial mass to hibernate over winter.

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Lagopus muta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22679464A113623562. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679464A89358137.en.
  2. ^ Montin, Lars. 1781. Tvänner Arter af Snöripan. Physiographiska Sälskapets Handlingar 1(3):150-155
  3. ^ Tyrberg, T. 1998. The date of publication of Montin's description of Lagopus mutus. Bull. B.O.C. 118(1):56-57
  4. ^ Government of Nunavut. "The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) Official Bird of Nunavut". Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  5. ^ "The Arms, Seals, and Emblems of Newfoundland and Labrador".
  6. ^ Yuzo Nakagawa, ed. (2010-02-01). ひと目でわかる野鳥 [Wild birds at a glance] (in Japanese). Seibido Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 978-4415305325.