Habitats

Alpine Tundra

The alpine tundra is the fragile community of grasses, sedges and dwarf plants that occurs above treeline in the Rockies. In Colorado, treeline is typically somewhere in the neighborhood of 11,500 feet. There is no other place besides the tundra to find White-tailed Ptarmigan. In summer, the most conspicuous breeding bird is usually American Pipit. Although not really a tundra bird, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch is also found above treeline in summer, usually around exposed rock faces and permanent snowfields.

Because the tundra is so fragile, it is very important to treat it with care. Whenever possible, walk on rocks or snow rather than on the plants. If you must walk on the plants, try not to blaze any new trails through them; when hiking off-trail in a group, hike abreast of one another instead of single-file.