White-tailed Ptarmigan

SCI Name:  Lagopus leucura
Protonym:  Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus Am.Orn.[Jamesoned.] 4 p.330
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Phasianidae / Lagopus
Taxonomy Code:  whtpta1
Type Locality:  Rocky Mountains, lat. 54° N.
Author:  Richardson
Publish Year:  1831
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LAGOPUS
(Tetraonidae; Ϯ Willow Grouse L. lagopus) L. lagopus, lagopodis  ptarmigan  < Gr. λαγωπους lagōpous, λαγωποδος lagōpodos  ptarmigan, rough-footed like a hare  < λαγως lagōs  hare; πους pous, ποδος podos  foot; "Pedibus plumosis. .  . .Lagopus. Genus 5.  ...  Genus Lagopodis  ...  Crura ad calcaneum usque plumosa  ...  Pedes plumosi. Calcaribus carent hujus generis Aves" (Brisson 1760): based on "Lagopus" of Willughby 1676, Sibbald 1684, Ray 1712 and Klein 1750; "Lagopus Brisson, Orn., 1, 1760, p. 26, 181. Type, by tautonymy, Lagopus Brisson = Tetrao lagopus Linné." (Peters 1934, II, 29).
Var. Lagophus, Logopus.
Synon. Acetinornis, Attagen, Keron, Oreias.
● (syn. Buteo Ϯ Ferruginous Hawk B. regalis) Specific name Falco lagopus Pontoppidan, 1763; "Mr. L. Fraser laid upon the table three new species of Birds, which he described as   LAGOPUS FERRUGINEUS  ...  Upper surface dark brown, mottled slightly with white on the head and neck; tail above the basal half white, terminal brown, totally white beneath  ...  Hab. Mexico.  ...  There are three specimens of this bird in different stages of plumage in the Society's collection, all from Mexico." (Fraser 1844).

lagopus
● Gr. λαγωπους lagōpous, λαγωποδος lagōpodos  hare-footed, rough-footed  < λαγως lagōs  hare; πους pous, ποδος podos  foot (Buteo).
● L. lagopus, lagopodis  ptarmigan  < Gr. λαγωπους lagōpous, λαγωποδος lagōpodos  ptarmigan, rough-footed like a hare; "91. TETRAO.  ...  Lagopus.  4. T. pedibus lanatis, remigibus albis, rectricibus nigris apice albis: intermediis totis albis.  Tetrao rectricibus albis: intermediis nigris apice albis. Fn. svec. 169.  Lagopus. Gesn. av. 577. Aldr. orn. l. 13. c. 21. Will. orn. 127. t. 32. Raj. av. 55. Edw. av. 72. t. 72.  Habitat in Europæ alpinis, ex Betula nana victitans.  Pedibus lanatis leporis; hyeme albus exceptis rectricibus, sub nive sæpius cuniculos agens; in sylvis loquax cachinnis.” (Linnaeus 1758) (Lagopus).

leucura
Gr. λευκουρος leukouros  white-tailed  < λευκος leukos  white; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura tail.
● (J. Gmelin 1789) ex “White-tailed Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Myiomela leucura).
● ex “White-tailed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Oenanthe).
● ex “Gros-bec du Canada” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 135, fig. 1 (subsp. Pinicola enucleator).
● ex “Black Sandpiper” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1787 (syn. Tringa ochropus). 

SUBSPECIES

White-tailed Ptarmigan (peninsularis)
SCI Name: Lagopus leucura peninsularis
peninsulare / peninsulari / peninsularis
L. paeninsularis or peninsularis  peninsular, of the peninsula  < paeninsula or peninsula  peninsula  < paene  almost, nearly; insula  island.
● Malay Peninsula, Malaysia/Thailand (Siam) (subsp. Arborophila chloropus, subsp. Chalcites minutillus, syn. Dinopium rafflesi, syn. Niltava sumatrana, syn. Pitta cyanea, subsp. Prinia rufescens).
● Vogelkop, West Papua, New Guinea (subsp. Crateroscelis robusta).
● Peninsular India (syn. Dicrurus macrocercus, subsp. Gracula religiosa, syn. Picoides nanus cinereigula).
● Baja California, Mexico (subsp. Falco sparverius).
● Yucatán, Mexico (syn. Habia fuscicauda insularis, syn. Troglodytes aedon intermedius).
● Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA (subsp. Lagopus leucura).
● Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia (subsp. Ninox connivens).
● Paria Peninsula, Sucre, Venezuela (subsp. Patagioenas subvinacea).
● Florida, USA (syn. Zenaida asiatica).

White-tailed Ptarmigan (leucura)
SCI Name: Lagopus leucura leucura
leucura
Gr. λευκουρος leukouros  white-tailed  < λευκος leukos  white; -ουρος -ouros  -tailed  < ουρα oura tail.
● (J. Gmelin 1789) ex “White-tailed Fly-catcher” of Latham 1783 (syn. Myiomela leucura).
● ex “White-tailed Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Oenanthe).
● ex “Gros-bec du Canada” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 135, fig. 1 (subsp. Pinicola enucleator).
● ex “Black Sandpiper” of Pennant 1768, and Latham 1787 (syn. Tringa ochropus). 

White-tailed Ptarmigan (saxatilis)
SCI Name: Lagopus leucura saxatilis
saxatilis
L. saxatilis  rock-frequenting  < saxum, saxi  stone, rock.
● ex “Rothe Italiänische Rebhuhn” of Frisch 1733-1763 (subsp. Alectoris graeca).
● (Linnaeus 1766) ex “Petrocossyphos” of Gessner 1555, “Turdus ruber, capite cyaneo” of Frisch 1733-1763, “Turdus capite caeruleo, cauda ferruginea” of Kramer 1756, and “Merula saxatilis minor” of Brisson 1760 (Monticola).
● (J. Gmelin 1789) ex “Greater Redstart” of Willughby 1676, “Merula saxatilis” of Ray 1713, and “Rock Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Monticola saxatilis).

White-tailed Ptarmigan (rainierensis)
SCI Name: Lagopus leucura rainierensis
rainierensis
Mt. Rainier, Washington, USA.

White-tailed Ptarmigan (altipetens)
SCI Name: Lagopus leucura altipetens
altipetens
L. altus  high; petens, petentis  attacking  < petere  to attack (cf. altipeta  high-flying  < altus  high  < alere  to nourish; petere  to seek (cf. Gr. πετομαι petomai  to fly)).