ptarmigan Lagopus mutus, a bird of high and stony mountainsides, whose choice of such an austere habitat tends to preserve it from the attention of predators. The fact that it is so little threatened has resulted in the ptarmigan behaving like a tame bird, often exhibiting no alarm at the presence of human beings; and, although shooting takes place and the ptarmigan is appreciated as a table bird, the numbers shot are not high. It is highly esteemed in Iceland, especially at Christmas and after protracted ‘hanging’.
