Lagopus leucura
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse tribe. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of Least Concern.
The white-tailed ptarmigan was given the scientific name Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus by the Arctic explorer John Richardson in 1831. It was later determined that Lagopus had sufficient distinguishing features to be regarded as a separate genus and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Ptarmigan sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 1,055 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 66th most-seen of the 223 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-tailed Ptarmigan sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate White-tailed Ptarmigan sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Jasper National Park (Canada, under 5%) and Glacier National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-tailed Ptarmigan is recorded against all the birds logged in Rocky Mountain National Park (1,055 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
