Coyotes are often seen moving long distances, leading to the common question of whether they migrate like birds or caribou. Unlike true migratory species, coyotes do not undertake predictable, seasonal, round-trip journeys between distinct summer and winter ranges. They are highly adaptable canids whose movements are driven by resource availability, social pressures, and the need to establish territory. Coyote movement patterns fall into two main categories: routine shifts within a defined area and the permanent, one-way travel known as dispersal.
Coyote Movement: Home Ranges and Nomadic Behavior
A coyote’s daily and seasonal movements are concentrated within a defined area called a home range. This is the region an individual or a family unit regularly uses for foraging, resting, and raising young, which they actively defend from other coyotes. The size of this territory is highly variable, often ranging from 5 to 45 square kilometers, depending on the availability of food and cover.
Coyotes exhibit a form of nomadic behavior within these established ranges as they adjust to shifting local conditions. For instance, a sudden decline in a primary prey source, such as a rodent population, will cause the coyote to expand its foraging routes until it locates a more reliable food source. This type of movement is a local, short-term shift in response to immediate needs, not a permanent relocation.
These shifts are also influenced by the need to find adequate cover and water sources. Coyotes may follow stream corridors or move between patches of dense vegetation while hunting or traveling, especially in arid or urban environments. This constant, adaptive shifting within the home range allows them to efficiently utilize resources without abandoning their territory.
Dispersal: The Long-Distance Movement
The long-distance travel often confused with migration is actually dispersal. Dispersal is a one-way, permanent movement away from the natal territory to find and establish a new, unoccupied home range. This behavior is most commonly undertaken by juvenile coyotes, typically between six months and one and a half years of age.
This solo journey is fraught with risk, which is reflected in the lower survival rate for dispersing juveniles (around 0.47) compared to those who remain in the parental territory (around 0.74). Dispersal distances vary widely, sometimes covering tens or even hundreds of kilometers. Some coyotes have been recorded traveling as far as 160 kilometers, and others have covered over 273 kilometers during their journey.
Dispersal is a single-event, permanent relocation driven by social necessity, unlike cyclical migration. Once a disperser successfully establishes a new, undefended territory, the long-distance travel ceases, and the coyote transitions into a resident with a stable home range. This process explains how coyotes have successfully expanded their distribution across North America over the past century.
Ecological Factors Driving Coyote Movement
Coyote movement, whether daily or long-distance, is fundamentally driven by ecological and social pressures. Prey availability is the primary factor dictating the rhythm of daily movement, as coyotes spend significant time foraging for their diverse diet, which includes small mammals, fruits, and human-provided food subsidies. When food is scarce, coyotes must increase their daily travel distance to meet their caloric needs.
Social structure and population density also serve as major drivers, particularly for dispersal. As young coyotes mature, they are often pressured by the dominant breeding pair to leave the family unit to reduce competition for resources and avoid inbreeding. This territorial pressure is the main impetus for the high-risk, one-way journey of dispersal.
The influence of human development is increasingly shaping coyote movement patterns. In highly urbanized areas, coyotes in developed habitats often exhibit larger home ranges and greater daily displacement than those in less disturbed areas. This increased movement is likely due to the need to navigate scattered resources and avoid human activity, often leading to an increase in nocturnal activity to minimize encounters.