Ptarmigans look brown in the summer, and start to look more white in the fall and winter. When they have more brown feathers in their plumage, they resemble the grouse birds very closely. In fact, they are often called “willow grouse” in parts of Europe. To add more to the confusion, ptarmigans are also termed as partridges in some countries.
Grouse vs Ptarmigans– they are superbly similar looking, especially during summer when they molt. They are related so they are bound to share commonalities. To tell them apart is a trick not everyone can master. However, in this article you will encounter some features in these birds that act as prominent tools to differentiate between them.
Contents
Grouse vs Ptarmigan: At-A-Glance
Grouse are arboreal birds that are often sighted perched on trees. They are large-sized Galliformes, of the family Phasianidae. They can be found in the pine-forests and mountain sides of the Northern parts of the world, vegetation being their favorite food. Male grouses are called “blackcocks” and females are known as “grayhens”.
Source: @melaniedelagephoto
Ptarmigans belong to the same order and family as grouses, with their genus name being Lagopus. This genus has three species– Willow ptarmigan, Rock ptarmigan and White-tailed ptarmigan. They are all arctic birds and are found in the tundra areas and rocky mountain sides of the arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia.
Source: @wagramparadeiser
All the three species are sedentary or non-migratory with a snow-white plumage that helps them to survive in the icy-cold atmosphere of their habitats by providing an excellent camouflage. Rock ptarmigans are mostly gray and white, whereas willow and white-tailed ptarmigans have brown and gray plumage, with white underparts, respectively. Ptarmigans are largely vegetarian.
The Similarities Between Ptarmigan And Grouse
Grouses and ptarmigans share a number of similarities– for one, they are both terrestrial cum arboreal birds, have a short and stout body, short wings, short legs, and similar looking plumage consisting of brown, gray and black. The males of both the genera perform wing and tail display during courtship, and both the birds have red combs over their eyes.
And not to mention, both grouse and ptarmigans have similar preferences for habitat and diet. They like to reside in mixed forests and mountain-sides, and both the avians are largely vegetarians. From a distance, these two ground birds look quite similar, and are often confused with each other. Do they even have differences to begin with? To know that, let’s dive deeper.
The Differences Between Ptarmigan And Grouse
Below are some differences between grouse and ptarmigan that will not only help you to identify them, but will also inform you about their interesting lifestyle. Equal emphasis has been given on the two birds, but if you want to know more about grouse families, you can visit here.
Source: @mthlc8
Body Shape and Size
Grouse are thicker and larger, and their chest regions are quite well-rounded. Their necks are almost not visible. Ptarmigans are smaller and slimmer.
The necks of ptarmigans have a shape–they are longer, and thus more visible. They are also much leaner than grouse birds.
Dusky grouse are quite big, almost twice the size of a ruffed grouse, and the spruce grouse are the smallest in terms of body size. Dusky grouse are 18.5 to 22.5 inches long, weighing about 3 pounds! Ruffed grouse are 16-19 inches, and spruce grouse are 15 to 17 inches long. Ruffed grouse weighs around 19.2 oz, whereas spruce grouse weighs 19-23 oz.
Ptarmigan are smaller than grouse. Rock ptarmigans are 13-14 inch long, flaunting a weight weight between 15.5 to 22.5 oz. White-tailed ptarmigans are the smallest among the three species, with a body length between 11.8 and 12.2 inches, weighing about 11.6 to 16.9 oz. Willow ptarmigans are the longest and the heaviest– 14-17 inch long, weight 15-29 oz.
Feet
The feet of grouse and ptarmigans hold a distinct difference. Both of them have feathered feet– however the feathers in a grouse end at the toes, but in ptarmigans, the feathers cover the whole toe. Also, grouse has 4 toes, whereas ptarmigans have 3 toes.
All four toes of grouse are covered with feathers, except the tips which are covered with small finger-like projections or scales along the edges. The hind toe is extremely short. Additionally, it has been observed, the three forward facing toes are slightly webbed, This increases the surface area so that they can easily walk about on snow. Each toe has a sharp claw.
On the other hand, all the 3 toes of ptarmigans are completely feathered, without any scales. Needless to say, the parts underneath the feet are not feathered. All the three toes are forward facing, and the absence of a fourth hind toe makes it extremely difficult for the birds to feed on low trees and bushy shrubs. The claws are present, and grow longer in winters.
Willow ptarmigan have the largest feet measuring between 48 to 59 mm. Rock ptarmigan’s footprint tracks are narrower at 40-49 mm. White-tailed ptarmigan’s feet are the smallest.
Tail
Grouse have white tails, with dark bands at the tips. Ptarmigans have solid-black tails, with white tips, and their tails remain black even while molting. Additionally, grouse flaunt the most wonderful plumage display when they fan their tails. Variations may be present, but this is the overall difference.
Grouse birds have gleaming white undertail coverts, and they have a long, lyre-shaped tail. Ruffed grouse have white tail, with dark bands at the tip, whereas spruce grouse tails are all black with a rufous tip. Dusky grouse have a black tail with a gray tip.
Ptarmigan males, on the other hand, always have solid-black colored tails, though females show more brown pigment on the tails. Ptarmigans also have a white edge at the tips of their tails. An interesting aspect about ptarmigan tails is that they can be folded and kept inconspicuous. The predator would be left surprised when they fan their tails and take flight.
Source: @birdsblooms
Wing
Grouse have brown and white wings. Ptarmigans, on the other hand, always have snowy-white wings all throughout the year, even when they molt.
Grouse birds flaunt white patches on the wings. When they are flying, the bright, white bars on the inner wings are clearly visible. Females do not have white wing bars. Grouse wingspan lies between 22 and 25 inches.
Ptarmigans have snowy white wings, and this aspect defines them. The wings remain white in all seasons. Like their tails, their wings can be folded and kept inconspicuous until flight. Rock ptarmigan wingspan is about 21-24 inches, while willow ptarmigan have a larger wingspan nearabout 24-26 inches.
Body Plumage
There is basically one main difference in the body plumage of these birds. Grouses have a black-and-white plumage, with the females having brownish feathers.
Ptarmigans have the best of both worlds– they flaunt gray and brown upperparts, accentuated with black-and-white bars. In winters, ptarmigans are snow-white, while grouses remain brown and white.
In winters, ptarmigans look snowy white and completely match their alpine, snow-covered surroundings. The story does not end there. In summer, they shed their old plumage and grow new feathers. Therefore, between winter and summer, ptarmigans may look like a confused color palette, containing mainly black, brown, white and gray feathers. They may also have bare patches of skin while they molt.
During this transitional time, males may be confused with females, and ptarmigans may be confused with grouses. Female grouses, as you will read later, mostly have a brown and white plumage. However, one of the distinct ways to tell grouses apart from ptarmigans during summer is by looking at their belly– ptarmigans always have a white belly.
Male white-tailed ptarmigan bears a mottled gray-and-brown plumage during the transitional time, with a speckled brown head. Willow ptarmigans look mostly cinnamon in the head and neck region, and not speckled like the white-tailed ones. Male willow ptarmigans molt slower than the females, they appear to look more brown than females during spring.
An effective way to tell the white-tailed ptarmigans apart from the other two species is by shedding light on their back– white-tailed ptarmigans have a slight gray coloration on their back that is absent in the other two. In winter, rock ptarmigans look completely white so it gets very easy to distinguish between them and the other two species.
Now, let’s get to how grouses look. Grouses usually have a more black-and-white appearance. Spruce grouse, for instance, have black streaks, bars and spots all over their body, making them look quite elegant as if ready for a dinner party. Females, however, have gray and brown plumage on the top, and whitish underneath.
In case of ruffed grouses, both males and females appear to be more brown, instead of the black-and-white look that spruce grouses flaunt. Ruffed grouses are often mixed with the female spruce grouses because they both look brown. To add to the dilemma, during summer time, there is a higher chance that you may confuse the brown grouses with the molting ptarmigans.
Therefore, by looking at the plumage color alone, you might not be able to tell the grouses apart from the ptarmigans. You need to consider other factors that we will read about very soon.
Source: @alanfphotos
Lore and Nostrils
Ptarmigans always have a black lore, whereas grouse may or may not have a lore.
Lores are the region between the eye and the beak of a bird. Ptarmigan males have a black lore while females have a pale lore. The rock ptarmigan has a black loral stripe, while females may or may not have a loral stripe. Grouse birds, on the other hand, may or may not have a lore.
There is another adaptation in both grouse and ptarmigans– the arctic species have feathers around their nostrils to warm the air before it enters the respiratory tract. White-taild ptarmigans and ruffed grouse have this feature.
Eye Stripe
Some species of ptarmigans have a black eye stripe, but grouse do not have this feature.
Rock ptarmigans have a black eye-stripe that starts at the beak, and surrounds their eyes. This feature, however, is not present in willow ptarmigans.
Diet
Ptarmigans and grouses are both herbivores– however ptarmigans have this affinity toward berries and buttercup leaves, whereas grouses prefer to have more pine needles. Also, grouses like conifers more, while their cousins go for deciduous products more.
Ptarmigan go for different parts of deciduous trees– leaves, seeds, and flowers during the summer. Adults may take in some insects as well, but for the most part, insects are given to 10-day-old chicks because they need proteins for growth.
In spring and summer, because of an abundant supply of food, their diet becomes much richer and more varied. Rock and willow ptarmigans feed on different types of berries like crow-berries and cranberries, as well as caterpillars, anemone leaves, snails and fly larva during summer. White-tailed ptarmigans prefer nitrogen-rich buttercup leaves and chickweed blooms.
In fall and winter, their diet again varies. Buds, twigs of willow trees, dwarf shrubs, catkins, sage and blueberries are often the only things they find available in the snow-covered alpine forests and mountain-sides. White-tailed ptarmigans settle for seeds and pine needles in winter and fall.
Grouses prefer to eat shoots, buds, and seeds of small shrubs and herbs. One thing they love to munch on are pine needles, which are actually needle-shaped leaves of pine trees. Almost throughout the year, especially in fall and winter, grouses feed on pine needles. Spruce grouses like spruce tree needles also.
Just prior to laying eggs, spruce grouses search for flowers of certain plants, Epigaea plants for instance, apparently because they have high protein content and help the bird in digestion. Aside from vegetation, grouses go for insects also, though, similar to ptarmigans, they are largely fed to their offspring. They also like mushrooms, berries and seeds.
Source: @strandinf
Feeding Tactics
Grouse and ptarmigans both are semi-terrestrial and semi-arboreal birds, that can fly short distances usually to seek cover or climb up a tree.
However, due to the difference in habitat between these two species, food is more available to grouse than ptarmigans. Ptarmigans are therefore quite nomadic, and travel distances larger than 1000 km to feed themselves.
Both the birds have crops or throat pouches. However, due to persistently harsh winter conditions that ptarmigans have to face, they need to store a lot of food and for longer. Thus, their crops are quite large with a capacity of 2 ounces.
Mating Rituals
Grouses and ptarmigans both have spectacular mating rituals. However, ptarmigan rituals are more elaborate. Grouses basically engage in wing and tail display, but ptarmigans do that and play games too! Also, ptarmigan males are more monogamous. Ptarmigans form pair bonds that last for one season but grouses form no pair bonds.
Phasianidae birds have very interesting courtship rituals, and ptarmigans are no exception. The rock ptarmigans, for instance, stand on large rocks to display their beautiful wing and tail feathers. They treat the rock as a stage so that the females can see them more clearly, and also because they look more intimidating and territorial.
Rock ptarmigan males also “strut”, where they fan their tails, drag their wings, keep nodding their heads, while following the females around. The males also play a racing game called “running-in-line” where the competitive males sprint parallel to each other, while generating growling noises. They also run toward each other and then jump into the air at the last second.
“Croaking challenge” is another ritualistic sport they indulge in,where the males give out calls from the ground level, fly, gain altitude and then come fluttering downward. All these activities are meant for the females to show off their plumage and territory. Rock ptarmigan males are partially monogamous, and pair bonds do last for one season at the least.
Willow ptarmigans use shrubby and open areas for boasting their territory to the females. For an elevated stage, they choose a tree, rock or hummocks. Willow ptarmigan males make gurgling noises that are quite different from the “rolling snores” that the rock ptarmigans make. Rock ptarmigans also engage in fast flights and rapidly beating wings to display their wings.
A sure-fire way of distinguishing if the ritual is being held within rock or willow ptarmigans is by noticing their plumage during courtship. During this season, rock ptarmigan males have a snow-white plumage, whereas willow ptarmigan males have a cinnamon top.
Grouse’s ritualistic congregations are called “lekking”, where males make a lot of noise and display their wings. Spruce grouses clap their wings 1 or two times, very loudly, that can be heard from 150 meters away. They swish their tails and make whirring sounds with their wings. Ruffed grouse male drums its wings about 50 times every 10 seconds, audible from 0.40km.
One distinct difference between grouse and ptarmigan mating rituals is, ptarmigan males, especially willow ptarmigan males, form strong pair bonds with the females, and stay with the hen at least until the eggs are laid or the chicks are born. Whereas, grouse males and females separate right after mating. In fact, females ensure they build their nests away from the males.
Nesting
Ptarmigans and grouses share commonalities in nesting habits with grouses, however there are differences when it comes to number of eggs laid, and the appearance of eggs and chicks. Grouse typically lay eggs anywhere between 4 and 10, whereas ptarmigans may lay about 12 to 14 eggs maximum.
Additionally, ptarmigan eggs always have big brown splotches on them, whereas ruffed grouse eggs look almost like the light-brown chicken eggs with unsightly brown spots. Grouse chicks have black bars on their plumage, whereas ptarmigan chicks do not.
The breeding season of ptarmigans begins in spring. Overhanging spruce or balsam fir are places where ptarmigans choose to nest. They also search for shrub-covered areas. White-tailed ptarmigans make nests beside boulders or ledges on mountains.
The mothers hide their nests so effectively they are quite difficult to find. They often leave fecal droppings within 50 feet circumference to trick predators into thinking that her nest may be nearby when it actually is not.
Rock ptarmigans lay about 6 to 12 eggs in May, with each egg laid 24 hours apart. Nests of rock ptarmigans are made of mainly grass blades and feathers. The mothers incubate the eggs for 3 weeks, and eggs hatch after only 5 to 7 days. The chicks have yellow and brown plumage, Willow ptarmigans lay 5 to 14 eggs, whereas white-tailed ones lay 2 to 8 eggs.
Grouse lay about 4 to 10 eggs between April and July, and there lies a significant difference between the color of eggs between different grouse species. Ruffed grouse eggs are buff colored, whereas spruce grouse eggs look a lot like the eggs of ptarmigans. Incubation time is similar to that of ptarmigans, but the chicks have black dots and bars on their body.
The biggest difference between the nesting habits of grouse and ptarmigan is that ptarmigan males wander around the nest while the eggs are being laid and incubated. They provide food and protection to the family. On the other hand, grouse males do not stay near the nesting site.
Source: @earthmelodie
Brooding
The number one difference between the parenting techniques of grouse and ptarmigan is, ptarmigan males stay near the nest, while grouse males do not. Ptarmigan males stay monogamous for at least one season, where grouse males are polygamous all along.
Ptarmigan chicks are precocial so parents need not worry about mouth-feeding them. They can forage, and even fledge just hours or days after hatching. As mentioned earlier, ptarmigan males practice monogamy at least for a season. This is visible across all the three types of ptarmigans– rock, willow and white-tailed ones.
In the rock ptarmigan family, males and females both choose a nesting spot together, with the males providing protection. The pair bond is quite strong, so much so that males continue their parental duty even in the absence of hens. However, a lion’s share of the duties fall on hens after the chicks have hatched. Hens keep the chicks together and they all forage moving from one place to another.
Willow ptarmigan males are the most monogamous– they stay with the hen even after the eggs have hatched, and the chicks have started foraging about. The fiercely independent chicks weigh 1 ounce just after hatching, and can fly about only after 12 to 13 days.
Willow ptarmigan males show exceptional pair bonding. They move around with the family, feeding and protecting them. They dive bomb intruders to get rid of them. In fact, if the hen dies, the male may take over the entire responsibility of bringing the chicks up. Monogamy is visible in the white-tailed ptarmigan family as well.
As mentioned previously, grouse males are polygynous, and soon after mating, the males and females separate, and females nest somewhere outside of the male territory. The hen remains a single parent till the chicks grow up to successfully feed themselves. However, in some very isolated cases, male grouse have been seen to be quite aggressive to threats against hen.
Habitat and Range
Ptarmigans are birds of alpine, snow-covered areas where they have to survive freezing conditions. They are found in tundra and mountainous areas, steep slopes, cliffs, ridges and ledges. Grouse are mainly found in mixed forests of conifers and deciduous, while arctic species could be found on mountain-sides and subalpine forests.
Ptarmigans dominate the northern parts of the world. They are found in the tundra areas of Siberia, Alaska and Canada, from the Baltic countries to Russia, coastal Norway, across Kamchatka peninsula, Kazakhstan, Newfoundland and British Isles.
Ptarmigan graze the heather moorlands, rocky, mountainous areas, slopes and ridges, ledges and cliffs, stony benches, moist areas near snow patches, birch forests and open areas. These birds are quite nomadic and change locations frequently depending on season.
During the harsh winter months when temperatures reach freezing points and food is scarce, willow ptarmigans seek shelter within dense thickets, tall shrubs and burnt areas. Rock ptarmigans can be spotted in shrubby slopes and forest openings, while the white-tailed ptarmigans are found above the timberline, on cliffs and mountain ledges.
All three species choose windier areas to inhabit during winters, because wind blows the snow away and also helps to melt it more quickly. All three become quite nomadic during winter, wandering from place to place searching for food and a proper shelter.
Grouse, on the other hand, likes dense forests to live in. They prefer scrubby and boggy areas, conifer plantations, and mixed forests. Ruffed grouse likes deciduous forests more, and can be spotted among aspens mainly. Dusky grouse like fir trees, but in the winters, they climb the mountain and seek shelter among the conifer trees.
The grouse species that reside in Alaska, inhabit different locations. Ruffed grouse is found among stands of aspens, birch and spruce, and also in woodland edges and shrub-covered ravines. Spruce grouse seek shelter in the uplands surrounded by evergreens and hardwoods. Sharp-tailed grouse choose burnt lands where only low shrubs grow.
Vocalizations
Grouse makes nasal clucks, while ptarmigans generate guttural sounds.
Sounds of grouse birds are mainly nasal “kuk kuk kuk”, nasal purrs and soft barks.
Sounds of ptarmigans, on the other hand, are described as “guttural snores”. White-tailed ptarmigans are known to produce low-pitched hoots and soft clucking noises. Willow ptarmigans make chuckles, cluck, rattles, and barks.
Grouse vs Ptarmigan: Difference Table
The table below lists out some defining features of the two birds.
| Characteristics | Grouse | Ptarmigan |
| Body shape and Size | Larger, thicker | Smaller, leaner |
| Feet | 4 toes, partially feathered, tips are scaly | 3 toes, completely feathered, no scales |
| Tail | White tail, black tip | Solid black tail, white tip |
| Wing | Brown and white (all season) | Snow-white in winter |
| Body Plumage | Brown, black, white (all season) | Snow-white in winter |
| Brooding | Polygynous males | Monogamous males |
| Calls | Nasal | Guttural |
Thoughts
Grouse vs Ptarmigan– they are immensely similar, no doubt. There is hardly any difference between these two birds of the Phasianidae family. They both have similar variations in feather colors, bright red combs over their eyes, and similar dietary and habitat preferences.
However, if you observe closely, you will find that grouse are more brown in appearance, whereas ptarmigans are snowy-white, head to toe. Yes, ptarmigans do shed their feathers in spring and summer which makes differentiating these two cousins all the more difficult. Looking at their feet, eye-stripes, wings and tails will help a lot.
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