The unsettling sound of what seems like a distressed infant piercing the night air can be alarming. While coyotes do not literally mimic human infant cries, certain vocalizations they make can bear an unsettling resemblance, leading to widespread confusion. This article clarifies coyote sounds and offers guidance for understanding these wild canids.
The Reality of Coyote Vocalizations
Coyotes are highly vocal animals, employing a diverse range of sounds to communicate. Their vocal repertoire includes howls, yips, barks, growls, whines, and screams. High-pitched yelps, screams, or distress calls are most often mistaken for a baby’s cry. These vocalizations have a high frequency and urgent quality, acoustically resembling human infant cries.
Coyote pups produce high-pitched yelps and whines when hungry, scared, or seeking attention from their parents. These sounds are often more insistent and pleading than adult yipping. Adult coyotes also use whines and yelps to express submission or pain. Their ability to produce varied tones and pitches allows for complex vocalizations that can make a few coyotes sound like a much larger group.
Distinguishing Coyote Sounds
Discerning coyote vocalizations from other sounds involves listening for specific characteristics and contextual clues. Coyote sounds often include a mix of yips, barks, and howls, creating a “group song” or chorus effect, even from just a few individuals. This auditory illusion, known as the “beau geste” effect, can make two coyotes sound like seven or eight. The pattern, repetition, and duration of these sounds help in identification.
Contextual factors also provide important clues for distinguishing coyote sounds. Coyotes are often more vocal during dawn and dusk, though they can be active and vocal at any time of day or night. Their calls are typically heard in natural or suburban areas, especially those bordering open spaces. The presence of other animal sounds, such as other canids responding to the calls, can further confirm the source as coyotes. Understanding the typical communication patterns of coyotes, such as howls for long-distance communication or yips for social bonding, aids in accurate identification.
Responding to Coyote Sounds
Hearing coyote sounds nearby can be concerning, but direct confrontation is rarely necessary. Coyotes are naturally timid animals that generally avoid human contact. If you hear coyotes in your vicinity, bring pets indoors and secure outdoor food sources, such as garbage or pet food, to avoid attracting them. Coyotes are opportunistic and may frequent areas where food is readily available.
If a coyote appears in your yard, “hazing” can reinforce their natural wariness of humans. This involves making yourself appear large and loud by waving your arms, shouting, or making noise with objects like pots and pans. Throwing small objects nearby, without aiming to injure, can also help deter them. Avoid running away, as this might trigger a predatory instinct. If a coyote exhibits aggressive behavior, such as a lack of fear or a confrontational approach, contact local animal control.