Rock ptarmigan particularly affected by climate change

habitat is shrinking

Rock ptarmigan particularly affected by climate change

According to the ornithological station, the prospects for the rock ptarmigan are poor: it is particularly affected by climate change. Its habitat is shrinking because of the rise in the tree line. And new tourism projects in the high mountains are disrupting the bird’s habitat.

The rock ptarmigan needs open areas with little vegetation and a high variety of stones and rock formations in its territory. Habitats with ski slopes, trees and dense vegetation they rarely colonize. “Sacrificing the last remaining natural areas in the high mountains for the expansion of winter sports facilities would be fatal,” wrote the Sempach ornithological station in a press release on Monday.

The population of the rock ptarmigan has been declining since the mid-1990s. Even if no further declines have been observed in recent years, the long-term prospects for the bird are poor, they say. After all, 40 percent of the Central European population breed in Switzerland.