#Survival and migration of rock ptarmigan in central Scandinavia
Here, we present results from a small study of rock ptarmigan in central Scandinavia between 2012-2014. Ptarmigan were captured in winter (n=84), and fitted with radio collars. We estimated the natural survival from mid-winter to late summer to be 0.55 (SE: 0.07), with no distinct differences between juveniles and adults, sex, or between the two years. Natural survival through late winter (February – April) was estimated at 0.77 (SE: 0.05), survival trough breeding season May-July at 0.65 (SE: 0.08), and harvest mortality through the February winter harvest at 9% (SE: 3%). Moreover, we documented large scale movement from the wintering grounds before the breeding season in the spring. The longest recorded movement was 79.5 km, and the mean distance from the capture site for birds still in the sample in May-July was 20.3 (SD: 18) km. We discuss the implications of the results in terms of ongoing climate change.
All data from this study is available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): https://www.gbif.org/dataset/b848f1f3-3955-4725-8ad8-e711e4a9e0ac