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Rescuing the “Raichō”: Hope for Japan’s Iconic Rock Ptarmigan

  • A male raichō, or Japanese rock ptarmigan, in its distinctive winter plumage. (March 2017, Mount Norikura)

    A male raichō, or Japanese rock ptarmigan, in its distinctive winter plumage. (March 2017, Mount Norikura)

  • The 1767 record Shinraiki describes early attempts to breed the raichō. (National Diet Library)

    The 1767 record Shinraiki describes early attempts to breed the raichō. (National Diet Library)

  • A mother raichō and her brood leave the safety of their temporary cage to forage. (August 2020, Central Alps)

    A mother raichō and her brood leave the safety of their temporary cage to forage. (August 2020, Central Alps)

  • A clutch of eggs and the three-day-old raichō chicks that hatched from them in June 2021 attest to the early success of Operation Resurrection in the Central Alps. The mother is the lone female who strayed into the area in 2018.

    A clutch of eggs and the three-day-old raichō chicks that hatched from them in June 2021 attest to the early success of Operation Resurrection in the Central Alps. The mother is the lone female who strayed into the area in 2018.

  • A mother raichō walks out with her chicks in Japan’s Central Alps in July 2021.

    A mother raichō walks out with her chicks in Japan’s Central Alps in July 2021.

  • Associate Professor Kusuda Satoshi, a leader in the study of raichō reproductive physiology.

    Associate Professor Kusuda Satoshi, a leader in the study of raichō reproductive physiology.

  • A male raichō takes flight. (May 2017, Mount Norikura)

    A male raichō takes flight. (May 2017, Mount Norikura)

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