Lagopède alpin— species and hunting in Quebec

The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse tribe. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the aqiggiq (ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ), and the official game bird for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In Japan, it is known as the raichō (雷鳥), which means "thunder bird"; it is the official bird of Gifu, Nagano, and Toyama Prefectures and is a protected species nationwide.

Description

The rock ptarmigan is 34–36 cm (13–14 in) long with an 8 cm (3.1 in) tail and with a wingspan of 54–60 cm (21–24 in) and a weight of 440–640 g (15.5–22.6 oz). It is about ten percent smaller than the willow ptarmigan. The rock ptarmigan is camouflaged to match the seasons; its feathers moult from white in winter to grey and brown in spring or summer. The breeding male has greyish upper parts with white wings and underparts. In winter, its plumage becomes completely white except for the black outer tail feathers and eye line. It can be distinguished from the winter willow ptarmigan by habitat; the rock ptarmigan prefers higher elevations and more barren habitats. It also differs in its slender bill; males additionally have black lores, absent in the willow ptarmigan, though they are also absent in female rock ptarmigan.