Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and willow ptarmigan (L. lagopus) are Arctic birds with a circumpolar distribution but there is limited knowledge about their status and trends across their circumpolar distribution. Here, we compiled information from 90 ptarmigan study sites from 7 Arctic countries, where almost half of the sites are still monitored. Rock ptarmigan showed an overall negative trend on Iceland and Greenland, while Svalbard and Newfoundland had positive trends, and no significant trends in Alaska. For willow ptarmigan, there was a negative trend in mid-Sweden and eastern Russia, while northern Fennoscandia, North America and Newfoundland had no significant trends. Both species displayed some periods with population cycles (short 3-6 years and long 9-12 years), but cyclicity changed through time for both species. We propose that simple, cost-efficient systematic surveys that capture the main feature of ptarmigan population dynamics can form the basis for citizen science efforts in order to fill knowledge gaps for the many regions that lack systematic ptarmigan monitoring programs.
ABSTRACT.-We compared average weights of sampled Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus alleni) to corresponding fall abundance to assess the potential role of population abundance on body condition. Ptarmigan abundance was measured as birds seen per kilometer walked, and average weights were from a random harvested sample of the birds. We found an apparent negative relationship between Willow Ptarmigan abundance and average adult female and male weights. Importantly, previous data indicate that the island of Newfoundland has one of the lowest breeding densities of Willow Ptarmigan within its range. Newfoundland's marginal habitat may limit the ability of Willow Ptarmigan to reach densities similar to the rest of its range as expressed negatively through body condition.
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