Commander rock ptarmigans have prematurely molted into their white winter plumage in the Commander Islands National Park. The newly molted birds are highly visible against the still-brown autumn tundra – an early transformation that temporarily strips them of their natural camouflage. However, as soon as the impending snowfall covers the terrain, the ptarmigans will seamlessly blend into the white environment.
The Commander rock ptarmigan – a narrowly distributed endemic subspecies – inhabits only Bering Island and Medny Island within the archipelago. The birds are currently endangered and are officially protected under the Red Data Books of both the Russian Federation and the Kamchatka Territory. Alongside these seasonal wildlife changes, the transitional autumn weather across the Commander Islands is currently producing frequent, vivid rainbows.