Rock ptarmigan
Amazing fact
A female rock ptarmigan makes a nest in a hollow on the ground, sometimes at the base of a dwarf pine.
上野動物園
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A female rock ptarmigan makes a nest in a hollow on the ground, sometimes at the base of a dwarf pine.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Rock ptarmigan
- Scientific name
- Lagopus muta
- Japanese name
- ライチョウ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Lagopus
Where the name “Rock ptarmigan” comes from
Its scientific genus name Lagopus means rabbit foot.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebThis page introduces the rock ptarmigan as a species. The ptarmigans of Japan, living in the high mountains of central Honshu, are a subspecies of it.
This bird lives widely across the far north of the Northern Hemisphere. In Japan, it lives high in the mountains of central Honshu.
To withstand the bitter cold, even the tips of its toes are thickly covered with feathers.
It molts several times a year so its feathers always match its surroundings, which helps keep it safe. In winter it is pure white except for its black tail.
How the Rock ptarmigan lives
In spring, males choose and defend territories. In summer it eats plants, while young chicks eat plenty of insects and spiders. In winter it eats buds and catkins of dwarf birch, among other things.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: about 37 cm
- Diet
- Plant leaves, buds, flowers, fruit, seeds, insects, and other foods
- Range
- Northern Eurasia, northern North America, and Japan
- Conservation status in Japan
- Endangered (EN)Assessed as Lagopus muta japonicaMinistry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Rock ptarmigan has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ライチョウ
- 简体中文
- 岩雷鸟
- 繁體中文
- 岩雷鳥
- 한국어
- 뇌조
- Español
- Perdiz nival
- Français
- Lagopède alpin
- Deutsch
- Alpenschneehuhn
- Português (Brasil)
- Lagopo-branco
- Italiano
- Pernice bianca
- العربية
- ترمجان الصخر
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Ayam-salju batu
- Русский
- Тундряная куропатка
- Türkçe
- Dağ kar tavuğu
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ライチョウChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Lagopus mutaChecked: 2026-11-03
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Rock ptarmigan, look for this
- Look for the red comb near a male’s eyes.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Rock ptarmigan
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Phasianidae
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