This is Bird Road.

Atu lies at the western end of Alaska's Aleutian chain almost in Russia.

Sub-Arctic winds and north Pacific waves buffet this exposed island.

With such an inhospitable climate, its expanses of Tundra support just a few resident birds.

One of these is the rock-tarmigan.

A beautiful grouse found on rocky hillsides all across the far north.

Like other grouse, it's camouflaged.

Modelled brown in summer, but white in winter.

The white is relieved by a black bill and tail.

Spots that seem disconnected as the bird moves through the winter snowskate.

Grouse are not long distance flyers,

but rock-tarmigans can cross open water,

so they occur from one end of the Aleutians to the other.

They are supremely adapted for high latitudes,

with thick feathers each with two shafts.

During winter, even their toes become feathered.

They ride out blizzards by burrowing deeply into fresh powder snow and roosting there.

Later in spring, a snow-white male will flutter into the air,

then glide to earth while calling loudly.

He fans his black tail inspectacular display before the female.

For BirdNote, I'm Mary McCann.

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