The Montane Wildlife
Douglas fir and limber pine habitats are typically inhabited by blue grouse, mountain chickadee, Hammond's flycatcher, Clark's nutcracker, mule deer, elk and Columbian ground squirrel. These habitats are also important
ungulate winter range.
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Denser Douglas fir and lodgepole pine forests also contain
yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon's subspecies), dark-eyed junco (Oregon subspecies), chipping sparrow, red crossbill, pine siskin and red squirrel. Aspen forests typically contain MacGillivray's warbler, warbling vireo and lazuli bunting.
Wetlands, streams and lakes are very productive for wildlife with Barrow's goldeneye, common snipe, red-winged blackbird, common yellowthroat, beaver, muskrat, and western toad. Spotted frog and long-toed salamander are two species of wet areas that are restricted to the Rocky Mountain Natural Region in Alberta.
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The
Cypress Hills have a distinctive but depauperate fauna due to their isolated position and the nature of post-glacial colonization. Several species typical of the Montane Subregion, such as mountain chickadee and blue grouse, do not occur in the Cypress Hills. However, the Mean's subspecies of the dark-eyed junco occurs in Canada only in the Cypress Hills.