Alaska's Grouse and Ptarmigan Poster

Alaska’s Grouse & Female Spruce Grouse Ptarmigan Breeding Male

Red phase breeding male Breeding male Breeding Male

Male or Female Gray phase male or female

Sharp-tailed Grouse Sooty Grouse Female Ruffed Grouse

Breeding male

Winter Summer female

Winter Summer female covering chicks Spring male Summer

White-tailed Ptarmigan Rock Ptarmigan Willow Ptarmigan

Spruce Grouse Sharp-tailed Grouse Sooty Grouse Ruffed Grouse White-tailed Ptarmigan Rock Ptarmigan Willow Ptarmigan

Males have a black throat, Sharptails have a short, Male sooty grouse (formerly Ruffed grouse can be one of In winter, these birds are almost Both sexes have black tail Both sexes have a thick, wide red eye comb and a rusty- pointed tail and appear called blue grouse) weigh two colors. Red phase have pure white; tail feathers are feathers with white tips and bill, and in winter are white with orange band at the tip of silver-gray with white- up to 3 pounds. They have a reddish brown back and pure white year-round. Summer narrower bills than willow black tail feathers. In spring the tail. Females lack the spotted wings. Both a yellow comb, a slate blue tail. Gray-phase birds have plumage includes a finely ptarmigan. They turn white in during breeding, males develop red comb and the black sexes look similar; males head and a long, black distinctly gray tail and rump barred back and an overall early October and remain white a white patch behind the bill throat and are generally weigh about 2 pounds tail tipped with pale gray. feathers, paler bodies, and grayish color. until early May. Males have a and a chestnut-red cape. By early a mottled rusty brown to and are slightly bigger Females are browner than only a hint of light brown These birds live above black mask in winter, a bright August the male is growing white gray with heavy barring than females. the males and about a third feathers along their sides. timberline almost all year in red eyebrow and white body. feathers. on a whitish-colored belly. smaller. They prefer young stands mountain ranges. Breeding Most hens have no mask but may Breed habitat is sparsely timbered Southeast Alaska birds They prefer recent burn They live in wet, evergreen of aspen and birch. In fall, habitat includes boulder fields, show a partial stripe. or treeless areas. Otherwise they lack the rusty tail band. areas, open grass-shrub forests of Southeast Alaska. birds frequent the forest edge snowfields, glaciers, cliffs, and Breeding habitat is hilly or favor willow-lined waterways habitat, agricultural Big timber provides where wild rose, highbush rockslides at higher altitudes mountainous tundra. They prefer on the coastal plains of western Spruce grouse are found lands, sparse shrub- food and shelter in the in white spruce, spruce/ and lowbush cranberry, and than other ptarmigan. They high valleys or slopes with low and northern Alaska or subalpine spruce at timberline, winter months. Muskegs blueberry are available. In usually move lower in late fall, shrubs, herbs and grasses. In areas in the rest of the state. birch, black spruce bogs, and sedge muskegs. and alpine meadows are and, in Southeast Alaska, winter, they switch to a diet wintering on slopes or in high winter males move to the lower In winter, birds remain close essential summer and fall of aspen and willow buds. valleys with alder, willow, edge of their breeding range; to shrubby slopes and valleys Sitka spruce and hemlock feeding areas. forests. birch, and some spruce. hens move to hills around large at lower elevations than their valleys in shrubby, open habitat. breeding habitat.

Photo Credits: To learn more about Alaska’s Grouse and Ptarmigan Visit Our Website: Steve DuBois - Sharp tailed grouse male breeding and winter white-tailed. ADF&G administers all programs and activities in Mike Taras- Female sooty grouse, female spruce grouse, breeding male and winter willow ptarmigan. compliance with state and federal civil rights and Division of Wildlife www.adfg.alaska.gov Hunting → Small Game → Grouse and Ptarmigan Tabs Rick Merizon- Summer white-tailed ptarmigan. equal opportunity laws. Obtain the full ADF&G and Conservation Ryan Schmidt- Male spruce grouse. Americans with Disabilities Act and Office of Equal 2012 You can also get a copy of The Grouse and Ptarmigan of Alaska booklet at your local ADF&G office or Stephanie Sell- Male rock ptarmigan. Opportunity statement online at www.adfg.state. ak.us or from the Division of Wildlife Conservation by sending an email with mailing address to [email protected] Tom Lawler- Sooty grouse breeding male. at 907-465-4190. Bob Armstrong- gray phase ruffed grouse, female willow ptarmigan.