| Lagopus Temporal range:Early Pliocene to present | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Tribe: | Tetraonini |
| Genus: | Lagopus Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Tetrao lagopus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Lagopus is a genus ofbirds in thegrouse subfamily commonly known asptarmigans (/ˈtɑːrmɪɡənz/). The genus contains four living species with numerous described subspecies, all living intundra or cold upland areas.
ThegenusLagopus was introduced by the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with thewillow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) as thetype species.[1][2] The genus nameLagopus is derived fromAncient Greeklagos (λαγος), meaning "hare,rabbit", +pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted group (such as thesnowshoe hare). Thespecific epithetsmuta andleucura were for a long time misspeltmutus andleucurus, in the erroneous belief that the ending ofLagopus denotesmasculine gender. However, as the Ancient Greek termλαγωπους is of feminine gender, and the specific epithet has to agree with that, the femininemuta andleucura are correct.[3]
The English nameptarmigan comes from theScottish Gaelic name forL. muta,tarmachan ([Scottish Gaelic pronunciation:['t̪ʰaɾaməxan]]), meaning “croaker”, which refers to the bird’s frog-like call. The p- was added due to a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if the word were related to the Greek wordπτερόν (pterón), 'wing'.[4]
The four species are all sedentary specialists of cold regions. Willow ptarmigan is a circumpolarboreal forest species, white-tailed ptarmigan is a North Americanalpine bird, and rock ptarmigan breeds in bothArctic and mountain habitats acrossEurasia and North America. With the exception of the red grouse (until recently considered a subspecies of willow ptarmigan),[5] all have a white winter plumage that helps them blend into the snowy background. Even theirremiges are white, while these feathers are black in almost all birds (even birds that are predominantly white, such as theBali myna) becausemelanin makes them more resilient and thus improves flight performance. TheLagopus grouse apparently found it easier to escapepredators by not being seen than by flying away.[citation needed]
These are hardy vegetarian birds, butinsects are also taken by the developing young. In all species except for the willow ptarmigan, the female takes all responsibility for nesting and caring for the chicks, as is typical withgamebirds.
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The genus contains four species:[6]
| Living species ofLagopus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Common and scientific names | Image | Description | Range and status |
| Willow ptarmigan (also willow grouse) Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) |  | Summer: marbled brown and reddish with black tail and white underparts; winter: most subspecies have white plumage except for black tail. | 10–20 subspecies. Circumarctic range in forest and moorlands of northern Eurasia and North America. Status: Least Concern. |
| Red grouse Lagopus scotica (Latham, 1787) |  | Reddish brown with black tail all year round | Monotypic.Great Britain andIreland |
| Rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta (Montin, 1781) | .jpg) | Summer: grey and brown upperparts; winter: white plumage. Distinguish from willow ptarmigan by habitat – higher elevations and more barren ground. | 20–30 subspecies. Arctic and subarctic Eurasia and North America on rocky mountainsides and tundra. Status: Least Concern. |
| White-tailed ptarmigan Lagopus leucura (Richardson, 1831) |  | Summer: greyish-brown and speckled; winter: white plumage. Males identifiable by reddish eyecombs. The smallest ptarmigan. | Alpine areas above the timberline in North America from Alaska and western Canada to New Mexico. Status: Least Concern. |
Twoprehistoric species and twopaleosubspecies are only known fromfossils:
Media related toLagopus at Wikimedia CommonsGenera oflandfowl and their extinct allies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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