Ptarmigan on the Cairngorm Plateau

The ptarmigan is a plump game bird which is resident in the highest slopes of the Scottish Highlands. In very severe weather, the bird may move down to the forest edges. It lives off a diet of shoots, leaves, berries and insects. In summer, the ptarmigan's plumage is grey, brown, and black, above a white belly and wings. In winter, the bird is completely white, apart from its tail and eye-patch. <br /> <br /> In this short audio extract, the distinctive, harsh, croaking sounds of the ptarmigan can be heard above the howling gales of the Cairngorm Plateau