White-tailed ptarmigan listed as "Vulnerable". This bird serves as an indicator species for the alpine tundra, and denotes overall ecosystem health. It is not a conservation concern and is abundant in alpine zones across North America, indicating that this region is not undergoing dramatic climatic, temperature, or precipitation shifts. The lack of overgrazing by cattle, the lack of human development in alpine zones, the difficulty in accessing its remote habitat, the low densities at which it occurs and the laws regarding the limits to hunting bags allow the white-tailed ptarmigan to thrive. White-tailed ptarmigan The white-tailed ptarmigan ("Lagopus leucura"), also known as
Ptarmigan Tunnel doors were hung across the tunnel adits during the summer of 1975. They remain open from mid-July until October 1, weather permitting. The long tunnel is a unique man-made feature in Glacier. This trail tunnel embodies exceptional qualities of landscape architecture and engineering in a pedestrian-scaled tunnel, cut through a sheer mountain wall. Ptarmigan Tunnel The Ptarmigan Tunnel was built in 1930 through the Ptarmigan Wall at an elevation of in Glacier National Park, near Many Glacier. The tunnel allows hikers to avoid a strenuous climb over very steep terrain between Many Glacier and the Belly River valley. Two opposing