There are many reasons for animals to band together

Sneaking through the trees and trying to avoid the noisy Oregon grape leaves, I’m trying to be very quiet as I attempt to get closer to a herd of elk in the field. My first glance over a small rise brings relief that they are still there but the next time I look over, they are all standing and alert. They slowly moved to the far corner of the field.

Seventy pairs of eyes will certainly detect any intruders. Elk and other animals tend to group together for precisely this reason: more eyes provide greater protection from predators. Individuals in a group can spend more time on other activities, such as feeding, than watching for predators compared to a solitary animal.

Elk tend to be gregarious (social) while moose tend to be solitary. Each species has its own social behavior, with some species exhibiting both solitary and group behavior, such as wolves. There are benefits and costs to both types of living. Two of the main factors in social behavior are predation pressure and resource availability. For example, moose are solitary because of food availability.

Not all species are gregarious for the same reason. One reason animals may group together is for protection from physical elements. For instance, white-footed mice huddle together in communal nests in the winter to conserve energy.

Like mentioned above, groups provide protection against predators. Prairie dogs and arctic ground squirrels both sound alarms for the entire colony if predators are detected. Meanwhile, musk oxen will form a defensive line or circle in response to wolf attacks, taking care to position themselves between the predator and their young.

Also, living in groups increases the chance of finding and obtaining food. Wolves are able to capture large species of prey, such as moose, by working as a group, whereas a solitary wolf would have an extremely difficult time. Flocks of birds also utilize the “many eyes” concept to find food, especially crossbills and waxwings.

However, there are costs to living in groups that include increased competition for resources and increased spread of diseases and parasites

Animals that are gregarious may not be gregarious all the time; it may vary between seasons, sexes, and populations. For example, female elk form “nursery herds” a few weeks after giving birth and remain together through the summer. White-tail deer vary by habitat: larger groups are more common in open habitats while smaller groups are more common in forested habitats. Winter is a common time for animals to band together, especially if snow depths restrict their range and forage. During the last two record snow years, deer, elk, and turkeys were certainly grouped together where there was food available. This year, the snow depth isn’t a problem for them.

Laura Roady is owner of Roady Outdoor Photography and is a freelance photographer and writer. She can be reached at 267-5397 or at roadyphoto@gmail.com.