[Tweeters] White-tailed Ptarmigan in WA -- confusion re WDFW claims and statements

[Steve Loitz via Tweeters]

Thanks, Stephen. Adding to the confusion, this 2005 document
<https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01287/wdfw01287.pdf>,
which WDFW links on its WTPT page, distinguishes the North Cascades and
South Cascades population as follows: "N. White-tailed Ptarmigan, *L. l.
leucurus*, in n. Cascades and Mt. Rainier White-tailed Ptarmigan,
*rainierensis*, in the s.Cascades." The document also notes that the
species is "widespread and locally fairly common in the Cascades of
Washington." This text is inconsistent with the claim on the FB group
thread that *rainierensis* is the only subspecies is WA's Cascade mountains.

It seems possible that WDFW's "1,000 individuals" claim applies only
to the *rainierensis
*population and that the WTPT individuals north of I-90 are not included in
the 1,000 number.

Steve Loitz
Ellensburg



On Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 3:16 PM Stephen Chase <schase at cornerstoneschool.us>
wrote:


> Appreciate the discussion, Steve.

>

> A second point of confusion is that WDFW lists

> <https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/lagopus-leucurus-saxatilis#resources>

> "our" White-tailed Ptarmigan as *Lagopus leucurus saxatilis*. As far as I

> can tell, *saxatilis* is the subspecies endemic to Vancouver Island. I

> wondered if it once used to be conspecific with the Mt. Rainier

> White-tailed Ptarmigan (*L.l.rainierensis*), but I don't see any evidence

> to corroborate that guess. Oddly, on the same page, WDFW references a

> thorough resource on White-tailed Ptarmigan that clearly describes

> *rainierensis* as the subspecies of White-tailed Ptarmigan across the

> Cascades, to the Canadian border (pgs 21-25 of this document

> <https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/202270>).

>

> Stephen Chase

> Everson

>

> On Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 2:40 PM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

>

>> I seek to clear up confusion re WDFW's statements re White-tailed

>> Ptarmigan, the Mt. Rainier subspecies of which has recently

>> received enhanced ESA protection, which is a good thing.

>>

>> WDFW's webpage

>> <https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/lagopus-leucurus-saxatilis#desc-range> re

>> the WTPT re the WTPT seems to make inconsistent claims--  WDFW claims

>> that "[t]he Washington population may be about 1,000 individuals"

>>

>> -- but in the immediately preceding paragraph, WDFW states that the

>> species is "common in areas further north, such as the Pasayten

>> Wilderness."

>>

>> How can a bird with only 1,000 individuals state-wide be deemed "common"

>> in a relatively small geographic subset of the state?

>>

>> Furthermore, the "1,000 individuals" claim is contrary to my experience,

>> which I acknowledge to be anecdotal, but nonetheless relevant. I've been

>> mountaineering and birding in the WA Cascades for 40 years, have seen

>> hundreds of WTPT and, although I do acknowledge the long-term threat of

>> climate change, I have not noted any material decline in the numbers of

>> WTPT north of I-90. WTPTs are a common sight in the NCNP on both sides of

>> SR20, e.g., Pickets, Steattle Ridge, Isolation Traverse, Bacon/Hagan/Blum

>> area, Ragged Ridge, Mt. Logan massif, and also in the Glacier Peak WA,

>> Chelan/Sawtooths, Pasayten WA and other areas.

>>

>> WDFW acknowledges that [t]here has been little work done with [the

>> species in WA]."

>>

>> What's going on here? WDFW's claim is not qualified by subspecies and,

>> AFAIK, the Mt. Rainier subspecies is the only WTPT subspecies in the WA

>> Cascades.

>>

>> On what sampling does WDFW rely for the "1,000 individuals" claim? Many,

>> very possibly most, WTPT reside in areas which see little human traffic

>> and, based on my considerable experience mountaineering in WA's WTPT

>> habitat, those areas very likely get virtually zero eBirders.

>>

>> This is not the first time I've been addled by claimed data which

>> reflects the very small overlap of birders and deep wilderness travelers,

>> but it's the most mindboggling.

>>

>> Steve Loitz

>> Ellensburg, WA

>> steveloitz at gmail.com

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>>

>


-- 
Steve Loitz
Ellensburg, WA
steveloitz at gmail.com
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