The presence of coyotes in North American cities is a growing phenomenon driven by the species’ remarkable ability to adapt to human-dominated landscapes. Coyotes are adaptable canids that have expanded their range significantly across the continent. Their establishment within urban and suburban environments, once considered unusual, is now a regular occurrence from coast to coast. This increasing proximity between humans and wildlife necessitates an understanding of the ecological factors and human-provided resources that facilitate their urban residency.
Ecological Shift: How Coyotes Became Urban Dwellers
Coyotes possess an ecological flexibility that makes them successful generalists, able to thrive in diverse and rapidly changing environments. A primary factor enabling their move into cities is the historical removal of their natural competitors and predators, specifically the gray wolf. In most urban centers, the coyote effectively assumes the role of the apex predator, resulting in flourishing populations due to a lack of pressure from larger carnivores.
Their success is linked to a behavioral plasticity, allowing them to quickly modify their habits in response to the urban environment. This modification includes shifting their activity patterns and utilizing fragmented patches of habitat. Widespread urbanization has created a patchwork of green spaces, parks, and riparian corridors that serve as suitable territories. The species has colonized these human-altered areas, viewing them as resource-rich extensions of their natural habitat.
Primary Urban Attractants
The immediate cause drawing coyotes into residential yards and neighborhoods is the reliable food source provided by human activity. Unsecured garbage, whether in open cans or improperly sealed dumpsters, is a major attractant because it offers easy access to discarded meats and food scraps. Similarly, pet food left outdoors provides a concentrated and predictable meal that encourages coyotes to frequent a specific area.
Beyond direct human subsidy, urban areas support abundant natural prey. The high density of rodents, such as mice and rats, and small mammals like rabbits and squirrels offer a consistent hunting base. Secondary attractants include water sources like unattended pet bowls, bird baths, and decorative fountains. Coyotes also seek accessible shelter for denning and resting, often utilizing dense shrubbery, overgrown areas, or the spaces beneath decks and sheds.
Understanding Urban Coyote Behavior
In urban settings, coyotes shift their daily activity cycle to minimize contact with humans. They are predominantly nocturnal, with peak activity occurring during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk, known as crepuscular periods. This temporal partitioning allows them to move and forage when human traffic is lowest, successfully navigating complex landscapes.
Their movement through a city is not random; they rely on specific linear features as travel corridors. Green belts, drainage ditches, creek beds, utility corridors, and railroad tracks provide safe, uninterrupted routes between foraging and resting sites. Repeated exposure to human environments can lead to habituation, a learned tolerance where the animals lose their natural shyness. This occurs when coyotes frequently access human-provided food without negative consequences, leading to bolder behavior.
Strategies for Coexistence and Deterrence
Coexistence depends on residents removing attractants and reinforcing the animals’ natural wariness of people. The most effective preventative measure involves securing all potential food sources, including using locking lids on garbage cans and removing fallen fruit from yards. All pet food and water bowls should be brought inside after mealtimes, and compost piles should be contained in secure, closed systems.
When a coyote exhibits bold behavior, consistent “hazing” techniques must be employed to re-establish its fear of humans. Hazing means being loud and assertive, involving:
- Yelling and waving one’s arms.
- Using noisemakers such as air horns or cans filled with pennies.
- Throwing projectiles, like small rocks or tennis balls, near the animal (not at it).
- Spraying the animal with a water hose.
Pet owners must keep small pets, especially cats and small dogs, indoors or closely supervised on a leash during dawn and dusk, as these are the times of highest coyote activity.