Willow Ptarmigan
Learn to identify the Willow Ptarmigan by ear. Master the "go-back, go-back, go-back!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Willow Ptarmigan sounds like
The pair bounces odd, nasal clucks and growly little outbursts back and forth. It is hard not to grin.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Found across Arctic and subarctic Alaska, Canada, northern Europe, and Asia. Many stay north all year, though some shift south or into lower valleys in winter.
Look for it in low, shrubby country in the far north—willow thickets, boggy tundra, muskeg, and brushy stream edges. It likes a mix of cover and open ground.
Spring is the noisy season, when males stand on hummocks, flash red eyebrow combs, and croak out display calls. In winter, small flocks feed quietly and may dive into soft snow to roost out of the cold.
How to recognize it by sight
A chunky, chicken-like bird of Arctic willow scrub, the Willow Ptarmigan is famous for changing outfits with the seasons. In summer it wears warm chestnut and brown; by winter it turns nearly pure white and can seem to disappear into the snow.
Similar species
Rock Ptarmigan
Usually favors rockier, more open tundra and higher ground.
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Smaller and daintier overall.
Spruce Grouse
A forest bird, not a tundra willow-thicket specialist.