Coyote Facts: Behavior, Diet & Urban Adaptation

Coyotes are highly intelligent and adaptable canines that have expanded their range across North America despite human efforts to eliminate them. Unlike most predators, coyote populations have actually increased over the past century, and they now thrive in major cities alongside millions of people.

How Coyotes Conquered American Cities

Coyotes live in nearly every major North American city including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. They adapt to urban life by hunting at night, using drainage systems as highways, and learning traffic patterns. Urban coyotes eat rats, rabbits, fruit, and garbage while avoiding human contact. Some city coyotes become so specialized they never leave urban areas their entire lives.

The Meaning Behind Coyote Howls

Coyote howls serve multiple purposes beyond the haunting sound they create. Each coyote has a unique howl that identifies them to pack members. Howling coordinates group hunts, warns other packs to stay away, and helps separated family members reunite. Coyotes can hear these howls from up to 3 miles away. They often howl just after sunset and before dawn.

Why Coyote Populations Keep Growing

Coyotes possess a remarkable ability to increase reproduction when their population declines. When coyote numbers drop, females have larger litters of 5 to 7 pups instead of the usual 3 to 4. More females also breed, and pups mature faster. This biological response means that culling programs often backfire, causing coyote populations to bounce back even stronger.

Hunting Strategies and Intelligence

Coyotes are clever hunters that adapt their tactics to available prey. They hunt alone for small prey like mice but form packs to take down deer. Some coyotes team up with badgers, with coyotes chasing ground squirrels above ground while badgers dig them out below. Urban coyotes learn to use crosswalks and time their movements to avoid rush hour traffic.

Diet Flexibility as a Survival Advantage

Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores that eat whatever food is available. Their diet includes rabbits, rodents, deer, birds, fish, insects, fruit, and vegetables. In cities, they consume pet food, garbage, and fallen fruit from trees. This dietary flexibility allows coyotes to survive in diverse environments from deserts to frozen tundra to downtown streets.

Speed and Physical Abilities

Coyotes can run 43 mph in short bursts and maintain 25 to 30 mph for longer distances while chasing prey. They can jump 8 foot fences, swim across rivers, and dig under barriers. Their agility and endurance make them effective hunters. Coyotes have excellent night vision and can hear a mouse moving under snow from 300 feet away.