Steller's jay
Due to harsh winters and a relative dearth of food sources, the subalpine harbors limited native animal species. While bears and the cougar visit the subalpine, lynx, the snowshoe hare, the American marten and various squirrels are among the few important native mammals. A few birds, such as the mountain chickadee and Steller's jay are commonly seen and heard in Rocky Mountain subalpine regions, with others such as owls, nuthatches and certain finches less obvious.