Photo/Illutration A young rock ptarmigan born earlier this year seems to be thriving in Mount Kiso-Komagatake in the Central Japan Alps of Nagano Prefecture on Oct. 31. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

NAGANO--Efforts to revive endangered rock ptarmigan numbers here are making good progress following the discovery of five chicks in the wild that have flown the nest and are living independently from their parents.

The Environment Ministry’s Shin-etsu Nature Conservation office said on Nov. 2 it had confirmed that three male and two female chicks are now living in groups.

The office conducted a field survey on Oct. 30 and 31 around Mount Kiso-Komagatake in the Central Japan Alps.

This summer, the ministry's researchers captured 19 rock ptarmigans--three families with three mothers and 16 chicks--at Mount Norikuradake in the Northern Japan Alps.

They then transported them to Mount Kiso-Komagatake, hoping they would thrive and restore the habitat in the Central Japan Alps.

During the field survey, researchers marked three of the five chicks with a leg ring and released them again.

The chicks weighed between 470 and 490 grams, as big as an adult bird.

“I am relieved to see these chicks living together by themselves,” said Atsushi Kobayashi, who conducted the survey. “If they make it through the winter, it is very likely they will reproduce.”

The rock ptarmigan, designated as a special natural treasure, was believed to have gone extinct in the Central Japan Alps over half a century ago.

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