Town of Banff

Natural Environment

The Bow Valley is critical wildlife habitat in the Montane Zone around Banff

Banff National Park encompasses 6, 641 square kilometres of mountains, glaciers, forests, alpine meadows, lakes and rivers. Banff, along with Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks and four adjacent provincial parks, form the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site - one of the largest protected areas in the world.

Differences in altitude, slope direction, soil coarseness, water table height and depth of the snowpack, create three distinct zones in Banff National Park:

• Alpine Zone is the highest elevation zone and accounts for 40% of Banff National Park. It is mostly rock and ice.
  

• Subalpine Zone, also known as the mid-zone, is located between the lower valleys and the tree line.
  

• Montane Zone is the lowest and most biologically rich zone. It accounts for just 3% of the park and is critical habitat for wildlife. It also contains most of the human development, including the town of Banff and major transportation corridors.
  

Flora (Plant Life)

On the western boundary of the town on the lower slopes of Sulphur Mountain lies the most unique botanical site in Banff National Park. The thermal hot springs coming from the mountain allow plant life to flourish that would not normally grow there. The area is home to approximately193 species of plants including eight species of orchids and three species of rare plants.

The Vermilion Lakes, the Cave and Basin Marsh and the Middle Springs make up the largest wetland complex in the area containing one of the most important shrub/wetland bird communities within the Rocky Mountain Parks.

Fauna (Animal Life)

Mammals

The 53 species of mammals that live in Banff National Park are divided into three main groups:

• Small Mammals: 29 species ranging in size from a few grams (pygmy shrews) up to 25 kilograms (beavers). This group also includes squirrels, marmots, porcupines, muskrats, rats, and rabbits.
  
  
• Ungulates (large hooved animals): These mammals are herbivorous (plant eating); they chew their cud and have chambered stomachs. The deer family includes elk, white-tailed and mule deer, moose, and woodland caribou. The sheep and goat family includes bighorn sheep and mountain goats.
  
  
• Carnivores: Carnivores have well-developed senses, long canine teeth and sharp claws. They are at the top of the food chain and are generally flesh eaters (although some are plant eating as well). Carnivores vary in size from less than a kilogram (the tiny ermine) to more than 450 kilograms (the grizzly bear).
  
  There are four families of carnivores in Banff National Park: the weasel family includes the pine marten, ermine, the long-tailed weasel, fisher and wolverine; the dog family includes wolves and coyotes; the cat family includes lynx and mountain lion; and the bear family  includes grizzly and black bears.

See the Parks Canada Website for further details.

Birds

Several types of birds can be spotted in Banff.

• Four of the most commonly sighted birds the Gray Jay, the Clark's Nutcracker, the Black-billed Magpie, and the Raven, all members of the Crow Family.
  
  
• Three types of chickadees are also permanent residents.
  
  
• The subalpine forest is home to different species of grouse and ptarmigan.
  
  
• Several predatory birds including osprey, bald eagles, and golden eagles, are seasonal residents.
  
  
• Banff also provides an important habitat for a number of waterfowl species and neo-tropical migrants such as the black swift which migrates from Costa Rica.

See the Parks Canada Web site for birdwatching tips.

Fish

Banff's lakes and rivers support a varied fish population:

• Mountain whitefish, dolly varden, bull and cutthroat trout and lake trout are indigenous to the Banff area.
  
  
• Other native fish include the lake chub, the long-nose dace, the stickleback and two species of suckers.
  
  
• Rainbow and brook trout have been introduced to local watersheds and have adapted well.
  
  
• Some tropical fish, accidentally introduced to the warm water of the Cave and Basin marsh, continue to thrive both there and in parts of the Vermilion Lakes.
  

For information on Fishing in Banff National Park, please see our Fishing and Ice Fishing pages.

Amphibians and Reptiles

Despite the harsh mountain climate, amphibians and reptiles do survive in Banff. While rare, sitings have been reported of members of the frog, toad, salamander, and snake families.  See the Parks Canada Web site for details.

Species At Risk

The Banff long-nose dace, once found near the Cave and Basin thermal springs, is listed as extinct by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The Banff Springs Snail, also found in these springs, is currently listed as endangered. See the Parks Canada Web site for more information.