Molting Adaptations of Rock Ptarmigan on Amchitka Island, Alaska
Jacobsen EE, White CM, Emison WB. 1983. Molting Adaptations of Rock Ptarmigan on Amchitka Island, Alaska. The Condor. 85(4):420-426
The molting pattern of Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus gabrielsoni) from Amchitka Island differs from that of other described races in the feathers molted, temporal and sexual sequence of molt, and extent of molt. Partially dark feathers may completely cover the head of females as a normal part of the winter plumage. Many new brown feathers or retained old ones are also found on the upper parts primarily of females but of both sexes in winter. To date, only the mid-summer and male autumn plumage, on which the description of this race was based, has been documented.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Jacobsen, Erling; White, Clayton; Emison, William
- Units
- ARCN , CAKN , DENA , GAAR , YUCH , WRST
- Keywords
- AMNWR, Galliformes, Genetics, Lagopus mutus, Pacific Mountain System, Physiology, Plumage, Southwestern