Lagopus term is of feminine gender, and the specific epithet has to agree with that, the feminine "muta" and "leucura" are correct. The English name "ptarmigan" comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for the bird, , whose origin is unknown. The p- was added due to a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if the word were related to the Greek word ("pterón"), 'wing'. The three species are all sedentary specialists of cold regions. Willow ptarmigan is a circumpolar boreal forest species, white-tailed ptarmigan is a North American alpine bird, and rock ptarmigan breeds in both Arctic and mountain habitats
Arctic Report Card video that summarizes the Report Card. In 2015, Arctic sea extent at the end of the winter was the lowest during the satellite record and the winter maximum occurred 15 days earlier than in the past. The sea ice minimum at the end of summer was the 4th lowest extent on record. These changes are having profound impacts in both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems and in sea surface temperatures. Arctic Report Card The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Arctic Report Card presents annually updated, peer-reviewed information on recent observations of environmental conditions in the Arctic relative to historical records.