SVALBARDBIRDS.COM
  • Home
  • Hjem
  • Bird observations
    • Recent photos
  • Species
    • Regular breeding birds >
      • Brent Goose
      • Barnacle Goose
      • Pink-footed Goose
      • King Eider
      • Common Eider
      • Long-tailed Duck
      • Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan
      • Ringed Plover
      • Ruddy Turnstone
      • Dunlin
      • Purple Sandpiper
      • Grey Phalarope
      • Black-legged Kittiwake
      • Ivory Gull
      • Great Black-backed Gull
      • Glaucous Gull
      • Arctic Tern
      • Great Skua
      • Arctic Skua
      • Little Auk
      • Brünnich's Guillemot
      • Common Guillemot
      • Razorbill
      • Black Guillemot
      • Atlantic Puffin
      • Red-throated Diver
      • Northern Fulmar
      • Snow Bunting
    • Scarce breeding birds >
      • Northern Pintail
      • Common Teal
      • Common Scoter
      • European Golden Plover
      • Red Knot
      • Sanderling
      • Red-necked Phalarope
      • Sabine's Gull
      • Common Gull
      • European Herring Gull
      • Lesser Black-backed Gull
      • Long-tailed Skua
      • Great Northern Diver
      • Northern Gannet
      • Redwing
      • Northern Wheatear
      • Meadow Pipit
      • Lapland Bunting
    • Annual non-breeders >
      • Canada Goose
      • Cackling Goose
      • Snow Goose
      • Greylag Goose
      • Bean Goose
      • Greater White-fronted Goose
      • Whooper Swan
      • Eurasian Wigeon
      • Mallard
      • Tufted Duck
      • Steller's Eider
      • Common Goldeneye
      • Red-breasted Merganser
      • Eurasian Oystercatcher
      • Whimbrel
      • Pectoral Sandpiper
      • Common Snipe
      • Common Redshank
      • Black-headed Gull
      • Ross's Gull
      • Iceland Gull
      • Pomarine Skua
      • Snowy Owl
      • Gyrfalcon
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Barn Swallow
      • Song Trush
      • Common Blackbird
      • Fieldfare
      • White Wagtail
      • Common Redpoll
      • Arctic Redpoll
  • About
  • Contact
  • Fugleobservasjoner
    • Siste bilder
  • Arter
    • Vanlige hekkefugler >
      • Ringgås
      • Hvitkinngås
      • Kortnebbgås
      • Praktærfugl
      • Ærfugl
      • Havelle
      • Svalbardrype
      • Sandlo
      • Steinvender
      • Myrsnipe
      • Fjæreplytt
      • Polarsvømmesnipe
      • Krykkje
      • Ismåke
      • Svartbak
      • Polarmåke
      • Rødnebbterne
      • Storjo
      • Tyvjo
      • Alkekonge
      • Polarlomvi
      • Lomvi
      • Alke
      • Teist
      • Lunde
      • Smålom
      • Havhest
      • Snøspurv
    • Fåtallige hekkefugler >
      • Stjertand
      • Krikkand
      • Svartand
      • Heilo
      • Polarsnipe
      • Sandløper
      • Svømmesnipe
      • Sabinemåke
      • Fiskemåke
      • Gråmåke
      • Sildemåke
      • Fjelljo
      • Islom
      • Havsule
      • Rødvingetrost
      • Steinskvett
      • Heipiplerke
      • Lappspurv
    • Årlige ikke-hekkende >
      • Kanadagås
      • Polargås
      • Snøgås
      • Grågås
      • Sædgås
      • Tundragås
      • Sangsvane
      • Brunnakke
      • Stokkand
      • Toppand
      • Stellerand
      • Kvinand
      • Siland
      • Tjeld
      • Småspove
      • Alaskasnipe
      • Enkeltbekkasin
      • Rødstilk
      • Hettemåke
      • Rosenmåke
      • Grønlandsmåke
      • Polarjo
      • Snøugle
      • Jaktfalk
      • Sidensvans
      • Låvesvale
      • Måltrost
      • Svarttrost
      • Gråtrost
      • Linerle
      • Gråsisik
      • Polarsisik
  • Om
  • Kontakt
Picture
Gallery
Picture
Records through the year
Picture
Distribution
Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan   Lagopus muta hyperborea
The Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan is a subspecies of Rock Ptarmigan.  Found over the most of the island group throughout the year. Somewhat more numerous on Spitsbergen island, Barents and Edge islands. Usually occurs in pairs in its territory. The female with its young remain together (brood flocks) during summer and autumn. Can occur in large flocks from late autumn until March. The population numbers several thousand pairs.   

Features: 35-40 cm, 0.5-1.2 kg (considerably larger that Rock Ptarmigan on the mainland). The male is slightly larger, is white most of the year and has a red comb over the eye in May-July. Late in June the plumage of the male quickly becomes dirty with more brown feathers in the plumage from July to August. The female moults into summer plumage from April and has full summer plumage early in June. The male has a broad black band between bill and eye. Older females also have a black band, but it is more narrow and often segmented. 

​Breeding: Breeds throughout most of the island group (not Bjørnøya). Normally lays 9 to 10 eggs (7-13) in a hollow lined with small leaves and other remains of plants on vegetated ground. 


Recent observations
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Home
  • Hjem
  • Bird observations
    • Recent photos
  • Species
    • Regular breeding birds >
      • Brent Goose
      • Barnacle Goose
      • Pink-footed Goose
      • King Eider
      • Common Eider
      • Long-tailed Duck
      • Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan
      • Ringed Plover
      • Ruddy Turnstone
      • Dunlin
      • Purple Sandpiper
      • Grey Phalarope
      • Black-legged Kittiwake
      • Ivory Gull
      • Great Black-backed Gull
      • Glaucous Gull
      • Arctic Tern
      • Great Skua
      • Arctic Skua
      • Little Auk
      • Brünnich's Guillemot
      • Common Guillemot
      • Razorbill
      • Black Guillemot
      • Atlantic Puffin
      • Red-throated Diver
      • Northern Fulmar
      • Snow Bunting
    • Scarce breeding birds >
      • Northern Pintail
      • Common Teal
      • Common Scoter
      • European Golden Plover
      • Red Knot
      • Sanderling
      • Red-necked Phalarope
      • Sabine's Gull
      • Common Gull
      • European Herring Gull
      • Lesser Black-backed Gull
      • Long-tailed Skua
      • Great Northern Diver
      • Northern Gannet
      • Redwing
      • Northern Wheatear
      • Meadow Pipit
      • Lapland Bunting
    • Annual non-breeders >
      • Canada Goose
      • Cackling Goose
      • Snow Goose
      • Greylag Goose
      • Bean Goose
      • Greater White-fronted Goose
      • Whooper Swan
      • Eurasian Wigeon
      • Mallard
      • Tufted Duck
      • Steller's Eider
      • Common Goldeneye
      • Red-breasted Merganser
      • Eurasian Oystercatcher
      • Whimbrel
      • Pectoral Sandpiper
      • Common Snipe
      • Common Redshank
      • Black-headed Gull
      • Ross's Gull
      • Iceland Gull
      • Pomarine Skua
      • Snowy Owl
      • Gyrfalcon
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Barn Swallow
      • Song Trush
      • Common Blackbird
      • Fieldfare
      • White Wagtail
      • Common Redpoll
      • Arctic Redpoll
  • About
  • Contact
  • Fugleobservasjoner
    • Siste bilder
  • Arter
    • Vanlige hekkefugler >
      • Ringgås
      • Hvitkinngås
      • Kortnebbgås
      • Praktærfugl
      • Ærfugl
      • Havelle
      • Svalbardrype
      • Sandlo
      • Steinvender
      • Myrsnipe
      • Fjæreplytt
      • Polarsvømmesnipe
      • Krykkje
      • Ismåke
      • Svartbak
      • Polarmåke
      • Rødnebbterne
      • Storjo
      • Tyvjo
      • Alkekonge
      • Polarlomvi
      • Lomvi
      • Alke
      • Teist
      • Lunde
      • Smålom
      • Havhest
      • Snøspurv
    • Fåtallige hekkefugler >
      • Stjertand
      • Krikkand
      • Svartand
      • Heilo
      • Polarsnipe
      • Sandløper
      • Svømmesnipe
      • Sabinemåke
      • Fiskemåke
      • Gråmåke
      • Sildemåke
      • Fjelljo
      • Islom
      • Havsule
      • Rødvingetrost
      • Steinskvett
      • Heipiplerke
      • Lappspurv
    • Årlige ikke-hekkende >
      • Kanadagås
      • Polargås
      • Snøgås
      • Grågås
      • Sædgås
      • Tundragås
      • Sangsvane
      • Brunnakke
      • Stokkand
      • Toppand
      • Stellerand
      • Kvinand
      • Siland
      • Tjeld
      • Småspove
      • Alaskasnipe
      • Enkeltbekkasin
      • Rødstilk
      • Hettemåke
      • Rosenmåke
      • Grønlandsmåke
      • Polarjo
      • Snøugle
      • Jaktfalk
      • Sidensvans
      • Låvesvale
      • Måltrost
      • Svarttrost
      • Gråtrost
      • Linerle
      • Gråsisik
      • Polarsisik
  • Om
  • Kontakt