Tundra and Ptarmigans

Picking a favorite spot in breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park is incredibly difficult.  From alpine lakes surrounded by rugged peaks, to lush green mountain meadows dotted with wildflowers, beauty met us at every turn.  But one of our best birding experiences during our four days in the park last June took place way up on the alpine tundra, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level.  

Alpine Tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park

From a trailhead along famous Trail Ridge Road, we set out early one frigid morning across the tundra in search of two very special birds: White-tailed Ptarmigan and Brown-capped Rosy-finch.  Happily, we successfully found both species (though photos were only possible of the ptarmigan.)

White-tailed Ptarmigan, round, chicken-sized birds of the tundra, are exquisitely designed for life in this harsh habitat.  Pure snowy white in the winter, save two shiny black eyes and small pointed bill, ptarmigan disappear into a desolate landscape of hummocky snowdrifts.  Come June, these birds molt into mottled brown plumage that allows them to melt into the summer tundra-scape of frost-seared grasses, wind-stunted shrubs, mat-forming forbs and crustose lichens.  The birds we saw were caught halfway between, a perfect match for a late-spring landscape of dwindling snowdrifts.

Incredibly hardy birds, White-tailed Ptarmigan live on the alpine tundra year-round.  At this extreme elevation, winter snows are driven by furious winds.  Gusts scour the surface of the ground, mounding snow into deep drifts in hollows and revealing edible vegetation on ridges.  The action of the wind allows ptarmigan to have access to a reliable source of food up here on the peaks, even during the heaviest of snowfalls!

While the range of the White-tailed Ptarmigan is fairly extensive, stretching from Alaska south through the Rocky Mountains all the way into New Mexico, their habitat is famously inaccessible to humans.  A few handy trails along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park provide birders and researchers alike with some of the most easily accessible White-tailed Ptarmigans anywhere in North America (or so I've heard).  The birds we saw were banded: a sure sign that scientists have a careful eye on this population.  And while we were headed back to the car, along a very narrow, muddy trail across the fragile tundra, we came across a group of birders, led by a guide, who were all very keen to get their eyes and optics on this special bird!

A group of birders, scoping the ptarmigan that is along the trail just left of center in this photo.

While the ptarmigan are at the top of every birder's wish list, the Brown-capped Rosy-finches are a popular target bird at this location as well!  American Pipits were abundant, as were Horned Larks and White-crowned Sparrows - all familiar faces from home.  Finding Horned Larks, which I associate with grasslands and prairies, so high up in the Rocky Mountains was certainly surprising!

American Pipit

One must not forget to include the mammals!  Curious and portly Yellow-bellied Marmots are perhaps everyone's favorite denizen of the high places!

Birding the alpine tundra was certainly a highlight of our adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park!

Pro Tip: Wear snowboarding pants to keep warm while birding the frigid alpine tundra!