Coyotes have been in Ontario for over a century, having migrated here long ago. The City of Brampton receives reports of approximately 1,300 coyote sightings each year.
As urban sprawl has increased and humans have impeded on natural habitats, coyotes have adapted very well to life in major North American cities, including Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. In cities, they live in urban forests, woodlands, ravines, meadows and parklands, which make up our Natural Heritage System.
Coyotes sometimes live alone but often live in family groups, usually consisting of the mother, father, last year's offspring, and this year's pups.
A coyote family occupies a home range area where they reside and seek food. This area might overlap with the home range area of another coyote family.
Understanding and respecting coyote behaviour allows humans and coyotes to coexist. Part of coexisting with coyotes is establishing and maintaining clear boundaries between humans and animals. This means:
- preventing coyotes from accessing human sources of food
- reminding coyotes that humans are not their friends
Coyotes found in Brampton are Eastern Coyotes, averaging a weight of approximately 31-40 lbs. They are often active at dawn and dusk to minimize their interaction with people, but it is normal to see them during the day.
Coyotes are integral members of our diverse ecosystem and contribute to a necessary and healthy prey-predator balance. Coyotes are a natural form of rodent control. Their primary diet consists of mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels and groundhogs. They also eat birds, eggs, snakes, turtles, fish, fruit and plants. Coyotes will also take advantage of the opportunity to scavenge, including eating food from garbage. Human-coyote conflicts may arise when we intentionally feed them or inadvertently create opportunities for free food around our City by placing food items in our garbage or recycling bins or letting our garbage containers overflow.
Coyote Vocalizations
Many people experience panic when they hear coyote howls and yips, but it's important to recognize that coyotes are always around us. Whether you hear them or not, they exist in our neighbourhoods, parks and green spaces. When you hear them howl, it isn't because they've just arrived or are searching for food; they've been there all along. Coyotes don't howl or yip when they're hunting; they do so to communicate with each other. A coyote may vocalize to bond with family, meet up with a friend or relative, or warn other coyotes that their area is taken. Coyotes live in family groups of two to five individuals but use auditory illusions to make themselves sound like a large, intimidating pack. Just one mated pair may sound like a dozen or more animals.
Coyote Seasonal Milestones
Coyotes are naturally timid animals, and most sightings we receive reflect this. Typically, they like to avoid people and confrontation, which has made them suitable for urban environments. Coyotes breed once a year, going through all the stages of raising a family and, if successful, rearing a litter of pups. The whole family is involved in raising new young. Because it's a vulnerable period for the mom and pups, they tend to go from aloof and avoidant to protective, wary, and assertive. People, and especially dogs that may present a threat to them, will be on the receiving end of these behaviours.
