Coyotes on the Corner

Philly’s wily wanderers are closer than you think – and here to stay.  

For the last 50 years, a new top dog has been quietly staking its claim in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs. The Eastern Coyote is clever, cunning, and resourceful  – a formidable force in our local food chain. Over the past five decades, coyotes have steadily established themselves in and around the city, thriving not in spite of urbanization but because of it.

They weren’t always here. Back in colonial days, there were just three apex predators in these parts: bear, wolves, and mountain lions. Coyotes lived in the prairies and deserts west of the Mississippi, and only started migrating east after these bigger, stronger species were pushed out here by humans. As development has expanded, coyotes have only gotten more comfortable! In fact, their populations have been stealthily rising for years, right under our nose…

TRUE STORY: modern infrastructure like cloverleaf highways, overpasses, train tracks, and utility roads provide ideal conditions for coyotes. These isolated stretches of brush-covered terrain make the perfect hiding spots for dens, while busy traffic helps confine prey like rabbits and other vermin, who are basically sitting ducks.

You won’t just find coyotes along our commuter networks, though, they’re also in our parks and yards, in our streets, alleys, and downtowns. They’ve even been seen using crosswalks and waiting at stoplights!

Their ingenuity is astonishing, and they are experts in the art of invisibility. While coyotes are active year-round, their evasive nature allows them to live virtually undetected by humans.

January, however, is the exception – it’s the start of their breeding season, so activity increases as they reinforce boundaries and scout for a secluded spot to raise their pups. During this time, we might see them at unexpected times of day. And we might hear them, too: eerie, high-pitched wails, like a wolf’s howl and a fox’s scream combined. Don’t freak out! These are fascinating creatures worth knowing.

Coyotes are monogamous and devoted parents, producing 4 – 7 pups around March or April and sharing the duties of feeding, tending, and raising their litter to maturity by early fall. The young adults may still remain with their family for the first year, hunting, foraging, and protecting their territory as a tightly-bonded unit, rich in generational intelligence.

This strong social dynamic is one of their superpowers, the other is their incredible adaptability. They can sustain themselves in practically every environment with almost any food source.

Opportunistic omnivores, they’ll eat all manner of rodents and reptiles, fruits and vegetables, insects, eggs, carrion, and even the occasional pizza crust. Spoiled or decomposing garbage? In a pinch, sure. But their typical diet is 90% fresh meat.

Coyotes are extremely adept hunters: finely-tuned murder machines, with sharp senses and unflappable patience. With their keen eyesight, acute hearing, and exceptional sense of smell, they can detect prey from just the slightest movement or sound. Coyotes mostly hunt alone, but they have been known to team up and take down animals as large as deer and young bison! No wonder the species has garnered a fearsome reputation – largely undeserved.

While some people may view coyotes with fear, in truth they are beneficial wildlife in urban ecosystems. They’re excellent natural pest control, and as scavengers they also clean up organic waste, reducing the spread of disease and improving environmental health. For all their growing numbers, coyotes pose little threat to humans. Simple precautions are usually enough to ensure peaceful coexistence, and allow these fascinating creatures to play their part in the balance of city life.

An old First Nations legend goes that when people first began to walk the earth, it was the coyote who taught us how to survive. Of all the other animals, coyotes had struggled to find their place in the world, and they empathized with our helplessness. They brought us fire and wisdom, and sparked a spirit of kinship that perhaps endures still today.

Can you sense it? The Eastern Coyote adds a special air of wildness and primal magic to what can sometimes feel like an alienated, concrete existence. If you’re lucky enough to hear their haunting call, or catch a glimpse in the shadows this year, take a moment to appreciate this profound symbol of resilience, and the enduring bond with nature we’ve shared since time immemorial.

🧠 COYOTE TRIVIA 📚

• Male coyotes are “dogs,” females are “bitches,” and a group can be called a pack, a band, or a clan.
• Nicknames for coyotes include prairie wolf, song dog, and American jackal
• In addition to their distinctive howls, coyotes also have a bark that sounds remarkably like a dog’s.
• Coyotes can run up to 40 miles per hour and are excellent swimmers.
• Coyote populations self-regulate, adjusting their litter sizes based on available resources and territory. Removing coyotes can actually lead to population booms because fewer coyotes means more resources for survivors, who then reproduce more.
• Coyote populations have been documented in nearly every major city in North America, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
• Coyotes have excellent spatial awareness and memory. They can navigate vast territories and remember the locations of food sources and safe spots.
• Coyotes have been around for nearly 1 million years, making them one of North America’s most ancient and successful predators.
• If it’s not obvious from size, a quick way to tell a coyote from a fox is by the tail: foxes tails are as long as their bodies and carried behind them; coyotes’ tails are half as long, and usually tucked low under their bodies.
• Joni Mitchell’s 1976 song “Coyote” is about her brief relationship with the playwright Sam Shepard, who was married at the time of their affair.
• According to creator Chuck Jones, the “E” in Wile E. Coyote’s name stands for “Ethelbert”
• In some Native American traditions, spotting a coyote or hearing its howl foretells great transformation or change.
• Tiktok sensation Weave the Coyote is an orphaned wild coyote with a special bond to content creator @timmc1269, who shares humorous and often heartwarming videos of her interactions with pets and humans.
• If a coyote kills or injures your livestock or poultry, you’re entitled to reimbursement up to $20,000 by Pennsylvania’s Dog Law Enforcement Office (also applies to feral dog attacks).

COYOTE SMARTS

Though the Eastern Coyote is 50% bigger than its western cousins, it’s still only the size of a border collie, and extremely timid, to boot. Attacks are exceedingly rare and usually only involve minor injuries, at most (there have only been two confirmed fatal coyote attacks in the United States, ever).

While coyotes can pose a risk to small pets, so can owls and feral dogs. If your four-legged friend might be vulnerable to predators, don’t leave them outside unattended. Of course never, ever feed coyotes; secure garbage cans and compost bins that might attract them to your property.

If you see a coyote, keep your distance. To shoo it off, try clapping your hands, making some noise, hurling a pine cone, waving a stick, etc. Act big, mean, and loud! If  doesn’t go away, or if it looks injured or confused, report to one (or all) of the following:

Metro Wildlife Center phillywildlife.org | 267-416-9453
Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic  Schuylkillcewnter.org | 215-853-6271
PA Game Commission pa.gov/pgc | 1-833-PGC-WILD

Thoughts? Comments? Please leave them below. If you enjoyed this Local wildlife feature, please check out last month’s on the adorable Pine Marten’s potential return to Pennsylvania woodlands.