The hardy Willow Ptarmigan is well adapted to year-round residency in some of Canada's coldest landscapes. Its dense feathers provide much-needed warmth, but the feathers on its feet serve a different purpose, acting like snowshoes to help the bird walk daintily atop fresh powder.
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The Willow Ptarmigan is widespread in the shrubby landscapes of Canada's subalpine, Subarctic, and Arctic regions. There are approximately 6.4 million individuals in Canada, which represent 15% of the global population and a low degree of Canadian responsibility. Most of its range is too far north for standard bird surveys, so it is difficult to get good insights into its population trend. The Christmas Bird Count and Breeding Bird Survey each have low reliability for this species, but they closely agree with both showing little change since 1970. Because of this agreement, there is medium confidence in this assessment. The national population of Willow Ptarmigan is within its goal range.
Neither the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) nor the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) cover the Willow Ptarmigan's northern range well. The CBC likely gives a slightly more reliable estimate of the population trend, though the results are biased toward the southern parts of the range. Estimates vary, but overall the national trend shows an increase of 29% since 1970, falling just within the category of 'little change'. The BBS agrees, showing an increase of 25% since 1982, but it is based on an even more limited sample from the southern edge of the Canadian distribution. Improved monitoring of northern regions would help improve confidence in the status assessment for this species.
The goal for Willow Ptarmigan is to maintain its population at or above the level it was at in the early 1970s, based on the Christmas Bird Count. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.
Designation | Geographic Area | Status | CITATION |
---|---|---|---|
Wild Species | Canada | Secure | |
IUCN | Global | Least Concern |
The hardy Willow Ptarmigan is well adapted to year-round residency in some of Canada's coldest landscapes. Its dense feathers provide much-needed warmth, but the feathers on its feet serve a different purpose, acting like snowshoes to help the bird walk daintily atop fresh powder.
Willow Ptarmigan is reported year-round in Canada. Dips in observations in the spring and fall likely represents changes in the behaviour of the birds or the birders, rather than changes in abundance.