Winter wildlife in Alberta: How plants and animals prepare for the cold

As the crisp air settles in, the natural world is already one step ahead. While we’re pulling out our parkas and tuning up our skis, the plants and animals in the South Canadian Rockies are making their own incredible transformations to make it through winter.

Let’s take a closer look at how Alberta’s wild residents are gearing up for the coldest season and how you can witness these adaptations firsthand on an Uplift Adventures winter tour.

Wildlife in winter: Animals are changing their looks for the season

The snowshoe hare is a master of seasonal style. As daylight wanes, receptors in its eyes send signals to its brain, triggering a full wardrobe change from brown to white. This isn’t just a fashion statement; it’s survival. That white coat provides camouflage against snowy backdrops, keeping the hare hidden from predators. And those oversized feet? They’re built-in snowshoes that let it bound across snow drifts with ease.

The ptarmigan, a hardy mountain bird, pulls a similar trick. Each fall, it molts its brown feathers and grows a white plumage to blend into its alpine surroundings. Even its feet are feathered, a natural insulation that lets it stay cozy and agile at high elevations.

Others are stocking up or staying in

While hares and ptarmigans blend in, other animals are busy building up their winter reserves. 

Squirrels and pikas have spent the summer gathering food for the cold months ahead, and fall is their final push. Squirrels are so crafty, they even harvest mushrooms and hang them on tree branches to dry, creating a stash of winter snacks. Beavers, on the other hand, store their meals underwater near their lodges, ensuring a steady food supply even when the ponds freeze solid.

Some animals opt for a long nap instead. Bears, skunks, and marmots enter a state of torpor (reduced metabolism and heart rate to conserve energy) while they hunker down and ‘sleep’ until spring. Even frogs get in on the act: they burrow into the mud and produce a natural antifreeze agent that prevents their bodies from freezing completely. Talk about cool survival skills!

Not all birds head south, either, and those that remain in Canada have adapted to survive cold weather. The clever Canada Jay—also known as the Gray Jay or whiskey jack—stays put, using sticky saliva to ‘glue’ its food high in trees above the snow line. And then there’s the snowy owl, which loves winter so much, it actually migrates here in the winter!

Plants are prepping too

The plant world has its own strategies for winter survival. Many species have already released their seeds for future generations to grow. A lot of plants go dormant for the winter, ‘dying back’ in winter as a natural process of dormancy to conserve energy, while others drain water from their branches (because water expands when it freezes and would break the cells in the plants) and store nutrients in their roots that were produced during the summer months. 

Evergreens, however, are built for endurance. Most evergreens are tapered at the top to shed snow so it doesn’t break their branches, while their tough, waxy needles conserve moisture.

Discover Alberta’s wildlife in winter with Uplift Adventures

There’s so much happening in the wild this time of year, and seeing it through an expert’s eyes makes all the difference. On a guided hike with Uplift Adventures, you’ll discover how Alberta’s wildlife and plant life survive and thrive in cold conditions. Our professional interpreters, scientists, and geologists are trained to reveal the hidden stories of the landscape, from animal tracks in the snow to the geology shaping their habitats.

Join us this fall or winter to witness the wild’s incredible preparation up close!