Rock ptarmigan
| Rock ptarmigan | |
|---|---|
| L. m. islandorum female in breeding/summer plumage | |
| Display song, Glenshee, Scotland | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Lagopus |
| Species: | L. muta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lagopus muta (Montin, 1781)
| |
| Subspecies | |
|
some 20–30, including:
| |
| Rock Ptarmigan range | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. 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.