BCR 10. 

Northern Rockies

Sage Thrasher. Photo: USFWS

Included in this area are not only the Northern Rocky Mountains and outlying ranges such as the Blue Mountains of east Oregon, but also the intermontane Wyoming Basin. The Rockies are dominated by a variety of coniferous forest habitats. Drier areas are dominated by ponderosa pine, with Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine at higer elevations and Engelman spruce and subalpine fir even higher. More mesic forests to the north and west are dominated by western larch, grand fir, western red cedar, and western hemlock. High priority forest birds include the Flammulated Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Black Swift, and Sooty Grouse. Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, and Trumpeter Swan breed in high elevation lakes and streams. The Wyoming Basin and other lower-lying valleys are characterized by sagebrush shrubland and shrubsteppe habitat, much of which has been degraded by conversion to other uses or invasion of non-native plants. High priority birds include the Sage Grouse, Ferruginous Hawk, Brewer's Sparrow, and Sage Thrasher.

Important Bird Areas in this BCR

Flammulated Owl. Photo: USFWS

Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park

Custer National Forest (Beartooth Plateau)

Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area

Glacier National Park

Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Rock Springs District BLM Lands

Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

Shoshone National Forests (Beartooth Plateau)

Wallowa National Forest

Yellowstone National Park