High speed aerial chases with much vocalization are common when territory is threatened. The territory display includes elaborate song flights. These begin with the male leaping into the air and flapping. He then flies vertically until he reaches stalling speed, at which point he spreads his tail and parachutes to the ground, making a gutteral, staccato call. Courtship displays involve the male circling the female while dragging one wing on the ground, fanning the tail, and raising the red eye combs.
Males tend to remain in alpine-like habitats, while females seek more cover.
Spring and summer habitat is more open, with males choosing territory sparsely covered in stunted brush and with many rocky outlooks from which to keep watch for other ptarmigans. Chicks tend to prefer swales and ridges without dense brush, where they can fly behind rises to escape danger. They can be hunted with shotguns or snared. Populations are known for great flutuations, usually following a ten year cycle, a phenomenon that is especially well documented in Iceland. The Rock Ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska.