Rock Ptarmigan

ライチョウ · Raichou

Designated by: National / Special Natural Monument
Designation type: Species
Designated on: March 7, 1923
Prefectures: Niigata Toyama Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka
Scientific name: Lagopus muta japonica

Designation facts (name, date, location) are compiled from public records by Japanese authorities.

About the Rock Ptarmigan (Japanese subspecies)

The Rock Ptarmigan of the Japanese Alps is a bird of the high mountains of central Honshu, regarded as a relic of the Ice Age. Its plumage changes with the seasons, brown in summer and pure white in winter. It lives in dwarf pine zones and alpine plant communities in a few mountain ranges, and is a Special Natural Monument.

Natural Monuments related to the Rock Ptarmigan (Japanese subspecies) →

Map

Designated as a species without a fixed area. Markers show related prefectures.

Frequently asked questions

Rock Ptarmigan is a Special Natural Monument of Japan (Niigata, Toyama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka). The Rock Ptarmigan of the Japanese Alps…

The Rock Ptarmigan is designated as a species without a fixed area and lives in places such as Niigata, Toyama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka.

When observing, follow local rules, keep your distance and never feed the animals. Capturing or harming Natural Monuments is prohibited under Japan's Act on Protection of Cultural Properties.