Willow Ptarmigan

©Harold Ables

Published: December 18, 2006

A Willow Ptarmigan in winter plumage walks on the snow near Churchill, Manitoba, in early November.

Harold Ables photographed the Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) while riding in a tundra buggy near the northern Canadian settlement on Hudson Bay. The photo shows the snowshoe-like feet that help the boreal bird walk on the snow's surface. Ables used a Canon EOS 20D digital SLR, a 300mm f/4 Canon lens, and a 1.4x teleconverter to take the picture.

Read more about Churchill, a great birdwatching hotspot on Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada.

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