Luca Melcarne's Image

Luca Melcarne (France) makes the most of his mountain guide skills to reveal the fascinating lives of Alpine animals.

A rock ptarmigan rests among limestone rocks. Its brown summer feathers replaced with white plumage ready for camouflaging among the winter snow, but in 2022 the snow was late. ‘Every year, it’s arriving later,’ says Luca.

Ptarmigan are well adapted to the cold, developing thick feathers on their feet that act as snowshoes and feeding mainly on buds, twigs and berries during the winter months.

However, populations are declining due to habitat loss caused by global warming, overgrazing and the development of ski resorts.