Willow ptarmigan – waapihyeu in Cree, meaning white bird – are abundant again this year in Eeyou Istchee, and the phenomenon of their superabundance is gaining attention.
For the past five years, their numbers – or at least their perceived abundance – have been increasing steadily throughout Eeyou Istchee to the great pleasure of Cree hunters. The willow ptarmigan’s scientific name is Lagopus lagopus, meaning hare’s foot, a reference to their feather-covered feet which help them walk on snow.
Ptarmigan generate much enthusiasm from the hunting community because they arrive in late fall, stay all winter, and leave for the North in late April. They appear in great numbers at a time when other bush foods are more difficult to come by, and a traditional stew of ptarmigan is a delicacy that cannot be forgotten.
However, little is known about these majestic and delicious birds, so the Cree Nation Government decided to help gather information on them. By partnering with Quebec’s Environment Ministry, CNG biologists are collecting data to better understand key elements about the birds that are harvested.
“We have a lot of questions about willow ptarmigan,” said CNG wildlife biologist Audrey Lauzon. “This is why the study was launched. Willow ptarmigan is one of the ‘species of interest’ in the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. We want to better understand the harvest so that they remain abundant for Cree hunters.”
Eliane Grant, another wildlife biologist with the CNG, also follows the ptarmigan file closely. “The abundance of willow ptarmigan seems to increase every year, and they fly further south every year. This winter, I have friends in La Vérendrye wildlife reserve who say they have abundant ptarmigan on their traplines, something unusual for them. And we have reports of ptarmigan near Val-d’Or, Senneterre and other parts of Abitibi. So, we know it is not just a local phenomenon,” she explained.
Elsewhere in Quebec, willow ptarmigan have been observed as far south as Chicoutimi, and to the east all over the North Shore.
To better understand the harvest, biologists have started to collect wings from harvested birds, so that the percentage of males and females, as well as the ratio of juveniles and adults, can be determined.
According to Maxime Lavoie, a wildlife biologist with the MELCCFP and project researcher, “Adult birds are identical in winter, and we can only tell males and females apart by a genetic test. For this reason, we collect wings, and then we can get DNA samples to identify the gender,” said Lavoie.
“Moreover, adult birds have totally white primary feathers, whereas juveniles often have primary feathers of a different colour, often with blotches of brown. This helps us differentiate adults from juveniles.”
The only previous study on ptarmigan was done in 2010-2012 by Michelle St-Gelais, a graduate student at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. St-Gelais found that most of the harvested ptarmigan during her research were females.
“So far, our results point that way as well,” said Lavoie.” From the wings we analyzed, over 90% of the birds harvested are female. We think females fly further south in winter to obtain better food, so that they can pile up surplus energy needed to lay eggs during nesting. This is also what the scientific literature seems to suggest.”
Their preliminary results suggest that the adult-juvenile ratio is about 50%, he noted.
In 2023-2024, researchers attached satellite transmitters on five captured birds in order to learn about flight routes.
“We know ptarmigan are long-distance migratory birds, flying from their nesting grounds in the Arctic down into Eeyou Istchee during late fall, only to fly back north in early spring. However, we have little information on timing of migration, or flyway routes taken by ptarmigan,” Lavoie said.
“Last year, our five birds with transmitters left for their northern migration at about the same time, sometime around the first week of April. And they all flew straight north. This year, we hope to put satellite transmitters on even more birds and especially in various parts of Eeyou Istchee so we can see if there are differences across the land.”
Mistissini’s Jane Voyageur is a wildlife technicians who helped in catching these birds. Voyageur is a well-known and well-respected indohoo eenou, a Cree hunter, whose bush knowledge came in handy during the project.
“We used small net guns to capture birds, right along the roadside near Nemaska,” she recounted. “We covered their heads with a small bag to reduce stress. We took some standard measurements, such as weight, and then attached a satellite transmitter on their backs like a backpack. Birds were then let free to fly away. It was amazing!”
Voyageur explained that Cree hunters value the ptarmigan for the meat.
“Ptarmigan are a major bush food for Eeyou/Eenou hunters in January, February and March, a time when there’s few other bush foods available in such abundanc,” she said. “Most Eeyou/Eenou hunters harvest waapihyeu with .22 rifles or shotguns – and they are a great bird to harvest for young hunters.”
Lavoie said they are also investigating their population cycle. “Historically, ptarmigan numbers seem to cycle every eight to 12 years, and we have seen abundant populations for the last five years. How long will this great abundance last? We do not know,” he admitted.
“One thing is for sure, collaboration from the hunters is key in this project,” Lavoie added. “We have received lots of wing samples from Cree hunters, and we are very thankful for that. And if someone was to shoot one of the birds with a transmitter, we want to know.”
For more information, you can watch a YouTube video (in French) about the project at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFInb2SraXo