You can tell that this picture was taken during the warm season because the ptarmigan has brown feathers!
Courtesy of BLM

Arctic Tundra Birds

There are over 100 species of birds that occupy the Arctic tundra in the summer. Everything from geese to owls to falcons fill the air and water. Almost all of these birds head south for the winter. Only a few birds stay in the cold winter tundra.

Members of the ptarmigan family, like the bird in this picture, make the tundra their home all year round. They are a speckled brown color in the summer and change to a bright white in the winter. They eat leaves and berries.


Last modified February 6, 2007 by Lisa Gardiner.

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