Moose are connectors.

Magpies sometimes perch on the backs of moose, and it’s a rare treat to watch a bird perched on the back of an animal hundreds of times its size! Magpies will use this as a chance to grab a snack, such as a tick that is riding along on a moose’s neck. Because moose from some populations are especially laden with ticks in late winter, this interspecies interaction can provide magpies with an abundant, albeit gross, food source. 

Indigenous peoples and moose have had a strong relationship since time immemorial.  Our modern-day word “moose” is not much changed from the words Algonquin languages used to describe the animal: moswa, moòs, mooz, moz, and mozo, meaning “twig eater.” Because of their historic and present importance in culture, sustenance, and way of life, moose are considered cultural keystone species by many Indigenous peoples. 

Moose move back and forth between riparian areas and the surrounding sagebrush and forest ecosystems. As they do, they also move nutrients from one part of an ecosystem to another. Moose eat riparian plants that are rich in nitrogen and, because of the time it takes to digest food, often deposit nitrogen-rich poop in the surrounding terrestrial environment. Nitrogen is critical to plant growth, so by moving nutrients around, moose help plants in different parts of the ecosystem get the resources they need to grow.

When raising a calf, much of a cow’s decisions revolve around ensuring her calf’s survival. Where she chooses to spend time will influence whether her calf is eaten by predators, but it also determines whether she can eat enough food to fuel lactation. It’s hard to find a perfect spot, so mom typically has to make a hard decision about where to spend time. Habitats that have many options—visibility for mom, concealment for calf, and forage for mom—can help ensure calves make it through their first few months.

Moose are large, dark, and cannot sweat, which means they are sensitive to overheating. Moose in the summer spend nearly 70% of their day bedded down, and they usually bed down in spots that help them cool off. Much like us heading to the river or the pool on a hot day, moose cool off by laying down in spots with wet soil or standing water. These cooling spots are called “thermal refuge,” and are critical habitat for moose. 

Moose often eat aspen, willows, and forbs—plants that are more vegetative and have flowers, like fireweed. Their food choices can cascade through their ecosystem! For example, by focusing on these plants, moose can make it easier for the uneaten plants to increase. In other words, what moose eat can change the plants that are in an environment. By affecting plants, moose can then shape their ecosystem in many other ways, like how nutrients move through a system, the presence of microbes, and soil temperature.