Lagopus


Lagopus is a small genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans. The genus contains three living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas.

Taxonomy and etymology

The genus Lagopus was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the willow ptarmigan as the type species. The genus name Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos, meaning "hare", + pous, "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted group. The specific epithets muta and leucura were for a long time misspelt mutus and leucurus, in the erroneous belief that the ending of Lagopus denotes masculine gender. However, as the Ancient Greek term λαγωπους is of feminine gender, and the specific epithet has to agree with that, the feminine muta and leucura are correct.
The English name ptarmigan comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for the bird, tàrmachan, whose origin is unknown. The p- was added due to a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if the word were related to the Greek word πτερόν, 'wing'.

Description

The three species are all sedentary specialists of cold regions. Willow ptarmigan is a circumpolar boreal forest species, white-tailed ptarmigan is a North American alpine bird, and rock ptarmigan breeds in both Arctic and mountain habitats across Eurasia and North America. With the exception of the red grouse, all have a white winter plumage that helps them blend into the snowy background. Even their remiges are white, while these feathers are black in almost all birds because melanin makes them more resilient and thus improves flight performance. The Lagopus grouse apparently found it easier to escape predators by not being seen than by flying away.
These are hardy vegetarian birds, but insects are also taken by the developing young. In all species except for the willow ptarmigan, the female takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks, as is typical with gamebirds.

Species

The genus contains three species:
Living species of LagopusLiving species of LagopusLiving species of LagopusLiving species of Lagopus
Common and scientific namesImageDescriptionRange and status
Willow ptarmigan
Lagopus lagopus
Linnaeus, 1758
Summer: marbled brown and reddish with black tail and white underparts; winter: most subspecies have white plumage except for black tail.10-20 subspecies. Circumarctic range in forest and moorlands of northern Eurasia and North America. Status: Least Concern.
Rock ptarmigan
Lagopus muta
Montin, 1781
Summer: grey and brown upperparts; winter: white plumage. Distinguish from willow ptarmigan by habitat – higher elevations and more barren ground.20-30 subspecies. Arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America on rocky mountainsides and tundra. Status: Least Concern.
White-tailed ptarmigan
Lagopus leucura
Richardson, 1831
Summer: greyish-brown and speckled; winter: white plumage. Males identifiable by reddish eyecombs. The smallest ptarmigan.Alpine areas above the timberline in North America from Alaska and western Canada to New Mexico. Status: Least Concern.

The distinctive British form of willow ptarmigan, the red grouse has sometimes been considered a separate species, L. scotica, but this is no longer accepted.

Fossil record

Two prehistoric species and two paleosubspecies are only known from fossils: