Margaret Darling, age 12, of Chamblee, Ga., for her question:
Where does the ptarmigan originate?
In case you wonder what to call him, the first letter is silent. The proper pronunciation is "TAR mi gan." But let's not forget to include the "P" when we write his name. The ptarmigan is a plump ground bird who originates in tundra type territory. Some of his kinfolk are at home farther south, usually in the cool meadows between lofty peaks.
All ptarmigans are prepared to cope with long, hard winters, and most of them change their plumage to match the seasons.
The Galliformes bird order was named for the barnyard chicken. It includes the pheasant, the grouse and the Thanksgiving turkey, also the proud peacock and the charming ptarmigan. Actually the ptarmigan is a grouse type ground bird who usually changes his attire to cone with life in colder climates. He looks somewhat like a fat chicken who traded the red crown on her head for a pair of fur stockings.
The willow ptarmigan is at home on the Arctic tundra of both Europe and North Amer¬ica. Where high, cold mountain tops are available, he ranges as far south as Spain, Quebec and British Columbia. Through the summer his speckled brown plumage blends into the earthy colors of the tundra. In fall, he molts and grows a white outfit to match the tundra snows though the male bird keeps his rusty brown neck feathers. Like all ptar¬migans, summer and winter, he wears furry feathers on his legs and feathery booties on his toes.
The white tailed ptarmigan is at home in high marshy meadows among the Northern Rockies. Visitors to Glacier National Park try to catch a glimpse of him. But he is a rare bird and hard to spot, because he blends so well with the scenery. His summer plumage is speckled with brown and beige, with a white tail. His winter outfit is snowy white, accented by his black beak and his bright black eyes.
'Not all ptarmigans favor tundras or marshy meadows among the snow capped peaks. The rock ptarmigan enjoys life on high, dry rocky slopes above the timberland. Isis summer plumage is freckled with dark broxans. This changes to winter white in the fall. The fourth member of the ptarmigan clan is not a seasonal turncoat. He is the Scottish grouse, alias the red grouse. He lives on the fragrant, Wind blown Scottish highlands, where snowfalls are less severe. His all season outfit is a heathery blend of rusty red browns.
Wherever he lives, the plump ptarmigan is beset by hungry foes. In the parks he is protected by law from human hunters. But foxes, birds of prey and other predators take a heavy toll of the birds and their nests. The nest is a hollow on the ground, lined with dry leaves and a few feathers. There are four and sometimes as many as eight eggs. The wide awake chicks can run for cover as soon as they hatch. After ten days they can fly. Large broods are necessary because so many eggs and chicks are devoured by predators.