: any of various grouses (genus Lagopus) of northern regions with completely feathered feet
Illustration of ptarmigan
A summer plumage
B winter plumage
Examples of ptarmigan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebHe was taken a thousand miles south to a TB sanatorium in Hamilton, Ontario, where the teen boy – used to roaming land and sea to hunt ptarmigan, seals and narwhal – was confined to a bed, not allowed to get up and walk.—Melody Schreiber, NPR, 2 May 2024 The ptarmigan is just one bird species that changes color in the winter, shifting from brown to white to blend in with the snow.—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023 Willow ptarmigan The willow ptarmigan is Alaska's state bird.—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023 This technique is commonly found among Arctic animals, including hares, foxes, lemmings and a bird called the ptarmigan.—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2023 The white-tailed ptarmigan calls the Uinta mountains home.—Matt Hardinge, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2020 Residing at 10,000 to 14,000 feet, chasing the white-tailed ptarmigan in California is not for the faint of heart.—Matt Hardinge, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2020 Some birds, like the willow ptarmigan in Alaska, may have adapted to survive cold winters by having big guts instead of big brains.—Geoffrey Giller, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2020 However, the contaminants might impact the habitats of terrestrial birds like lapland longspurs, rosy finches and ptarmigan.—Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Nov. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ptarmigan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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