| Only the white-tailed ptarmigan will make the alpine and subalpine life zone its home for most of the year. During the many cold snowy months, it has white feathers. It grows warm white feathers around its legs and feet. The birds will hide under the snow from the cold wintery weather. The layers of snow and warm feathers help keep the ptarmigan alive. It also uses its layers of fat that were put on during the summer for warmth and energy in the cold wintery months. In addition, they can stay still for long periods of time in order to save more energy. The white-tailed ptarmigan is well-adapted to live in the cold wintery alpine and subalpine life zones.
In late spring, it molts or loses its warm white winter feathers and grows speckled grayish-brown feathers. The new feathers can camouflage or hide the birds so well in the rocks and the ptarmigans can stay so still that hikers may almost step on the birds before they even know the birds are there. Ptarmigans need to eat lots of seeds, flowers, plants, and insects over the short summer to build up a new layer of fat for the next winter. When the snow returns, the ptmarigan grows a brand new set of warm white feathers and molts or loses its grayish brown summer feathers.
Sources of information and to find more information: All About Birds, Nature Works, CSU NDIS
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