10 cool Canadian birds that belong that belong on every wingshooter’s bucket list

#5  PTARMIGAN

It’s the places they call home that make ptarmigan an interesting and desirable bird to hunt. We have three species in Canada. The willow ptarmigan can be found in tundra and alpine habitats from Newfoundland west to B.C., and north into the High Arctic. The rock ptarmigan has a similar distribution, though it prefers higher, drier, less-vegetated country. The white-tailed ptarmigan, meanwhile, is a high-altitude bird, restricted largely to the mountains of B.C., southwestern Alberta and the Yukon, as well as the N.W.T.’s Mackenzie Mountains.

Each species is defined by its feathered toes and significant white colouration. While they adopt an overall mottled brownish colour during the summer breeding months, they retain their white wings all year round.

Typically, ptarmigan are not a difficult bird to hunt; their generally unsuspecting nature means you can often get within shotgun range before they flush. It’s not the challenge, however, that makes ptarmigan hunting one of our top wingshooting experiences. After you squeeze the trigger, stop for a moment and take a look around—you’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of Canada’s most beautiful and remote landscapes.