By Holly Hastings
A symphony of species defying the odds exists in the airy domain of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Let’s countdown four extraordinary species that survive despite the odds in this ruthless habitat.
Can you guess which animal is #1?
#6 Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
This pink and brown songbird is the highest altitude breeding bird in North America!1 These little birds breed around 1,000 to 2,500 meters2 above sea level in the Rockies as well as other mountains like the Brooks Range, the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, and Alaska’s Aleutian and Pribilof Islands.3 One fearless female, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was recorded to be a whopping 6 years and 7 months old.4
#5 Hoary Marmot
This little fella is one of 15 species of marmot, all of which have habitats at high mountainous elevations worldwide.5 Hoary marmot habitats range from sea level to 2,500 meters above sea level.6 Interestingly, this large ground squirrel spends 80% of its life underground.7
#4 American Pika
This small little type of lagomorph might look adorable, but they are one of North America’s toughest animals.8 American pika’s thrive in inhospitable environments that other mammals don’t enjoy like treeless mountain slopes.9 around 3,000 meters above sea level.10 They are often heard well before they are seen with a squeaky squeal that asks you to stay out of their territory!11
#3 Clark's Nutcracker
Also known as Clark’s crow or woodpecker crow, the Clark’s nutcracker lives in open coniferous forests along western North America.12 Their habitats vary from 915 to 3,650 meters above sea level.13 This bird has a special pouch under its tongue in which it stores pine seeds to carry great distances; research has shown that an individual hides thousands of seeds throughout the year, and their magnificent memory allows them to find most of them again! 14
#2 Mountain Goat
Did you know they aren’t actually true goats? Mountain goats are in the same family as true goats (like the domestic goat) but are not the same genus.15 They thrive in alpine and subalpine environments, sometimes above 4,000 meters above sea level.16 Mountain “goats” can be found throughout Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.17
Honourable Mention: Golden Eagle
Twice a year the glorious golden eagle migrates across the Rocky Mountains through what is called “The Eagle Highway” to Alaska/the Yukon and back down to Mexico.18 They have become so prominently spotted resting at altitudes up to 2,010 meters in the Rockies19 that they have their own dedicated observation sites.20
#1 White-tailed Ptarmigan
These small grouse have exquisite camouflage for the tundra habitats spanning Alaska to New Mexico.21 They live above the tree line for most of the year, exceeding 4,600 meters above sea level, but they descend into the tree line during bitter winter weather.22
References
- “Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-crowned_Rosy-Finch/overview#
- “Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis),” Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia, https://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=GCRF&lang=en#:~:text=Most%20breeding%20is%20at%201%2C000,areas%20during%20the%20nesting%20season.
- “Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-crowned_Rosy-Finch/overview#
- “Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-crowned_Rosy-Finch/overview#
- Dana Mayor, “Marmot,” A-Z Animals, https://a-z-animals.com/animals/marmot/
- Braun et al., “Marmota caligata (Rodentia: Sciuridae)”, https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/43/884/155/2642989?login=false
- Dana Mayor, “Marmot,” A-Z Animals, https://a-z-animals.com/animals/marmot/
- “American Pika,” National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika
- “American Pika,” National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika
- “American Pika,” OneKind Planet, https://www.onekindplanet.org/animal/american-pika/
- “American Pika,” National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika
- “Clark’s Nutcracker,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/overview
- “Clark’s Nutcracker,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/overview
- “Clark’s Nutcracker,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clarks_Nutcracker/overview
- Hannah Featherman, “Eight Facts About Mountain Goats You Should Know,” National Forest Foundation, https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/eight-facts-about-mountain-goats
- Hannah Featherman, “Eight Facts About Mountain Goats You Should Know,” National Forest Foundation, https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/eight-facts-about-mountain-goats
- Hannah Featherman, “Eight Facts About Mountain Goats You Should Know,” National Forest Foundation, https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/eight-facts-about-mountain-goats
- Dixon, Tyler., October 17, 2014, “The Eagle Highway,” Calgary Guardian, https://calgaryguardian.com/the-eagle-highway/
- “Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos),” Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia,https://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?lang=en&sp=GOEA
- Dixon, Tyler., October 17, 2014, “The Eagle Highway,” Calgary Guardian, https://calgaryguardian.com/the-eagle-highway/
- “White-tailed Ptarmigan,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/overview
- “White-tailed Ptarmigan,” Cornell Lab All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/overview
