Ptarmigan  (Lagopus mutus)

Main Scottish strongholds for this species are in the Cairngorms, the north-western Highlands and the Mounth from Drumochter to Lochnagar. A few also occur in the Hebrides (4). Elsewhere, the ptarmigan has a wide global range; it is found in alpine and arctic areas of Russia, Scandinavia, Finland, Greenland and Canada (5).

The ptarmigan is possibly Britain’s hardiest bird, living on high mountainsides in rocky terrain with very little vegetation (5) (2). In winter, they occasionally move down to lower altitudes, especially after heavy snow fall, when they can be seen in high moorlands (5).