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
Winter Mountain Smyth at his home in Donegal, Ireland, and shortly afterwards formed Winter Mountain. They began touring after winning a 'battle of the bands' competition in Derry, Northern Ireland. Their prize was two days at a local recording studio. They used the session to record what would become their debut EP, which featured five original songs. After a year of performing in pubs and folk clubs across the UK and Ireland, Winter Mountain were given the opportunity to accompany Northern Irish folk singer Cara Dillon at a theatre in Donegal. They presented their EP to Dillon's husband and manager Sam Lakeman